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Liam Payne stayed in one other hotel before checking into the one where he died, and did party pretty hard while there -- but, despite reports, it wasn't enough to get him kicked out of the fancy spot.

Liam and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy were staying at the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires during the week prior to his death, and a staffer there tells TMZ ... the couple was definitely in celebratory vacay mode.

We're told Liam did get "pretty drunk" on some nights, but he was never belligerent. In fact, he was, at least, trying to be entertaining ... as he would sometimes sing in the lobby.

3:04 PM PT -- In a statement to TMZ ... a Delta rep said ... "The matter with the customer has been resolved. We appreciate her patience as we continue to work to understand what occurred during this event. Most importantly, we are thankful for her service to our country.”

A Marine Corps vet's effort to highlight the crisis of soldiers dying by suicide nearly got her booted from a Delta flight ... and she was forced to change her clothing before take-off.

Catherine Banks, who served 8 years in the Marines, says she was on a Delta flight in San Francisco earlier this week, when she says a flight attendant walked up to her and said, "You need to get off the plane."

She says he told her the shirt she was wearing was "threatening." The t-shirt had a print that read, "Do Not Give in to the War Within ... End Veteran Suicide.”

Shawn Mendes was so overcome with emotion over the death of Liam Payne ... the singer paused his NYC concert Friday night to pay tribute to his pal.

Shawn was performing at the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre when he took a moment to tell the crowd that the One Direction star was a "beautiful soul" ... and the shocking news of his death was "devastating."

SM emotionally lamented ... “Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother. And we’re all praying for your son and your family, and I miss you, man. So this one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.”

A car full of alleged scammers in NYC is going viral for what appears to be an outlandish attempt at insurance fraud -- and the woman who says she was their target captured it all on dashcam.

Here's the deal ... footage posted on TikTok by Ashpia Natasha -- which has racked up 35 million views -- shows her slamming on the brakes after a car pulled in front of her on the Belt Parkway in Queens and suddenly stopped short.

After a couple of beats, the lead car reverses quickly ... slamming into the front end of Ashpia's car. The end result looks like a violent rear-ender took place.

Liam Payne's sister has broken her silence after the tragic death of the One Direction star ... and her message is absolutely devastating.

Ruth Gibbins posted a lengthy statement to her Instagram page along with several sweet photos of the siblings -- all to express how much she loved her brother and her unbearable pain, which included, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

She began with, "I don't believe this is happening. Many times have I poured my heart out publicly with pride about Liam but never much about life as his sister ... Liam is my best friend."

Taylor Swift's final leg of her epic "Eras" tour is off and running after after a two-month hiatus -- and the Miami concert drew some major celebs.

Taylor swooped in to perform at the Hard Rock Stadium, with the likes of retired NFL star Tom Brady, tennis great Serena Williams and "Today" cohosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie all enjoying the show.

Just before the gig, Tom posted a photo with his 2 sons, Jack and Benjamin — and the happy trio was all smiles. Tom wrote in the caption, "Boys night at the Eras Tour."

Former NFL star Eddie Lacy is fortunate he didn't hurt himself or anyone else on the night of his DUI arrest last month ... 'cause cops claim he was driving around with a blood alcohol content level over FOUR TIMES the legal limit.

The Scottsdale Police Dept. says it all happened back on Sept. 30 ... after a woman dialed 911 and told dispatch that someone matching Lacy's Audi SUV description was driving so erratically, she was worried they were "going to kill somebody."

According to an SPD police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops pulled over Lacy in his Q8 a short time after the call was received ... and almost immediately, officers noticed something was off about the ex-Green Bay Packers tailback.

As One Direction fans mourn Liam Payne ... Lyle and Erik Menendez make a big push to get released, Taylor Swift's back on tour and the combo of Halloween and Diddy has some people up in arms. So, we gotta ask ...

Cue the Halloween puns, 'cuz the stars are having a skele-ton of fun and letting the ghoul times roll this Spooktober! And, you know what they say, "If you've got it, flaunt haunt it!"

Teamwork was def makin' the scream work for Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's Halloween decor, Sydney Sweeney hit the countertop to frost some festive goodies, and guess which A-list rapper stuck to her annual pumpkin head tradition?!

Just in time for spooky season, Lance Bass stayed in sync with dropping his Halloween children's book, "Trick or Treat on Scary Street".

And, sink your teeth into Maude Apatow looking fang-tastic while she snapped a spine-chilling selfie with Halloween icon, Jack Skellington.

The feds want to keep Diddy behind bars, Bella Hadid is showing some sexy shots from a fashion show and Jay Cutler got a DUI ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Charles and Babcock explain Diddy's bond appeal in his criminal case.

Meanwhile, on "TMZ on TV," our crew reacts to Bella's sexy lingerie posts from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

And on "TMZ Sports," Michael and Mojo break down all angles of Jay's arrest for DUI and gun possession.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Her songs are a total bop, and now Jennie Kim's in a crop top! Do you think you've got what it takes to score the minor switch-ups in these photos? Hit the lights and watch this shining star own the stage!

Per Jennie's newest "Mantra", the K-Pop singer "just touched down in L.A." and made her US television performance debut on Jimmy Kimmel. Just take a look at her show-stoppin' stage 'fit ... she ate!

"Pretty girls don't do drama", but go on and find the dramatic changes ...

7:40 PM PT -- Although police say Liam's behavior sounds consistent with that of "cristal" users, they still don't know if that drug was present in the room. We're told they're still waiting for test results on the narcotics and medications they recovered.

Liam Payne was potentially under the influence of a potent drug, known to cause psychotic attacks and hallucinations, when he died ... according to police in Argentina.

Cops in Buenos Aires tell TMZ ... their operating theory is Liam was high on a substance called "cristal," which police say causes users to experience extreme highs and extreme lows, often making them aggressive.

Photos from inside Liam's hotel room show the place trashed ... his TV was smashed and there was drug paraphernalia in the room, which was littered with broken objects.

Travis Kelce can't be at Taylor Swift's show tonight because of his NFL season,  but his family's showing love for his girlfriend .... hitting up the "Eras" tour in Miami.

Travis' brother, Jason Kelce, is at Taylor's Friday concert ... along with his wife, Kylie, and their daughter, Wyatt.

The family of three was spotted heading into Hard Rock Stadium ... and Travis' mother, Donna, was spotted inside the venue -- her very first "Eras" experience -- so there are at least 4 Kelces there.

Liam Payne's father is sharing his grief with his son's fans in Argentina ... standing with them in an incredibly poignant moment right outside the hotel where Liam died.

The heartbreaking scene played out Friday evening in Buenos Aires ... Geoff Payne solemnly walked around the makeshift memorial fans have created on the sidewalk in front of the CasaSur Palermo hotel.

As Liam's dad looked at all the flowers, letters and candles ... fans observed a moment of silence in honor of the singer.

Liam Payne was seemingly in a good place with his sobriety months before his tragic death in Buenos Aires ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the One Direction alum was very vocal about being sober in the late spring/early summer of 2024 ... telling people in his inner circle working with him that he was on the wagon.

We're told those around him saw no warning signs of either drug or alcohol abuse at the time.

Blac Chyna is ready to take the next step with boyfriend, Derrick Milano ... the reality star has gotten engaged to the rapper, TMZ has learned.

Check it out ... DM got down on one knee at Howard University's homecoming celebration, Yard Fest, proposing with a stunning ring in front of a crowd of thousands.

Unsurprisingly, Chyna, who has been dating Derrick for over a year, happily accepted her boo's request and said "Yes!!!"