Outlandish conspiracy theories suggesting a link between Liam Payne‘s death and his ‘fearful’ encounter with beleaguered hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs have emerged just hours after the 31-year-old singer fatally fell on Wednesday.

Resurfaced footage from a 2017 appearance on the BBC‘s The Graham Norton Show features the One Direction star recalling how the rapper had ‘the most evil laugh’ and lingered uncomfortably when shaking his hand.

To the amusement of fellow show guests David Walliams and Salma Hayek, Payne, who met Jay-Z at the same celebrity party, said: ‘I went over and thought, who’s the easy target in this scenario, who’s the one you go to say hello, and I’m thinking, “I saw him [Diddy] in Getting To The Greek, I’m gonna go over there and say hello to him”.’ 

As he went up to him and shook his hand, Payne recalls Diddy had an ‘evil laugh’ and gave him ‘the longest handshake ever.’

‘I’m just sat there looking into P Diddy’s eyes and thinking when is this going to end?’ he said.

Payne continued: ‘The worst of it then happened. There was a whole thing with Jay-Z and I went to lean in to speak to him, but you can’t lean in to Jay-Z, you’re not allowed to lean in.

‘His bodyguard just shoved me like this and I went flying across the room. I was like, right, I’m just going to sit over here with Ellie Goulding.

‘It was a very awkward moment.’ 

Now in the wake of the pop star’s death, social media sleuths have suggested this encounter could have greater significance as Diddy awaits trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in a case that has rocked the music industry.

Payne tragically plunged 45ft from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.

Detectives confirmed that a series of substances were seized from the hotel room ‘indicating previous situation of alcohol and drug consumption’ and are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. 

Argentina’s prosecutor office said on Thursday that it is considering whether Payne may have been ‘semi-conscious or completely unconscious’ when the incident occurred.

As investigators continue to probe what happened, some social media users have put forward outlandish theories that the singer’s death and his previous encounter with Diddy are connected.

One wrote: ‘Liam Payne was put off considerably when he met Diddy for the first time. Liam is now dead. 

‘I don’t think that is coincidental. Just putting that out there…’

Another shared a clip of Payne’s appearance on the show and said:  ‘Liam talking about P. Diddy, they soon shut him down.’

A third wrote: ‘Isn’t it funny how this video was circulating last week online and now he’s dead.’

Other users suggested, without providing evidence of their claims, that Payne would have been asked as a witness to Diddy’s forthcoming trial. 

A preliminary report into the popstar’s death said ‘everything indicates’ Payne was alone when he died. 

The prosecutor’s office said forensic reports showed no injuries were observed that suggest third-party involvement and that the autopsy is compatible with a fall from height. 

However officials are still launching a probe into the ‘possible involvement of third parties’ in the events before his passing. 

It comes as police investigating the sudden death of One Direction star Liam Payne are searching for two ‘key witnesses’ who could be among the last people to see him alive.

The 31-year-old singer died instantly after suffering multiple injuries that led to ‘internal and external haemorrhaging’, when he fell from a third-floor balcony on Wednesday.

Argentine investigators are now hunting for two women who spent time with Payne at the Casa Sur hotel the night before his shock death.

Both women are said to have left the hotel yesterday after waiting for the star in the lobby, Argentine outlet Infobae reports. 

There is no indication that the women could be involved in his death, but police hope they can help piece together Payne’s final moments before he plunged to his death at around 5pm local time. 

Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, had returned to Florida four days prior to his death, telling her followers ‘I just needed to go home’ after their planned ‘five-day trip’ was extended to two weeks.

As more details emerge from the hours before Payne’s death, one hotel guest staying in the same hotel as Payne recalled hearing ‘violent noises’.

It comes as:

• One Direction star returns to his hotel room before fall from balcony as staff told police he was ‘off his head on drugs’
• Liam Payne’s family say they are ‘heartbroken’ and say he will ‘forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul’ 
• One Direction star ‘was acting erratically with police called to his hotel over drugs and alcohol claims shortly before he fell to his death’ – as his horrific injuries are revealed 
• Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry claimed star ‘predicted he would die early’
• Zayn Malik’s sister Waliyha admits she is ‘heartbroken’ and has ‘no words’ after Liam Payne’s death 
• Heartbroken fans descended on the hotel to lay candles and flowers for Payne;
• Payne shared a photo with his girlfriend on Snapchat minutes before his death;

Doug Jones told the BBC: ‘I thought they were working on the room. There was a lot of noise, like heavy lifting, like banging, a lot of loud, violent noises, I thought.

‘And I saw hotel people going in and out of that room, so I thought they were doing work on the room.

‘So about 4pm, 430pm, I started hearing some more noise, I was still doing work, and I heard a really loud, violent scream around 4.45pm, 5pm.’ 

He then realised something was wrong when he saw ‘the whole road was full of cops’.

Police were called to the hotel at around 5pm following reports of ‘an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol’, but when they arrived they heard a loud sound in the inner courtyard. Payne died instantly from multiple injuries, including a fractured skull.

Detectives have reportedly seized a bottle of whiskey, a lighter, a phone and a notebook from the singer’s suite, local media reports.

It comes after Argentine media, including major broadsheets, published troubling images believed to be taken from Payne’s suite which shows white powder, burnt foil and a smashed up TV screen. 

Police said they also found the popstar’s medicines including clonazepam – a drug which is used to control epilepsy, involuntary muscle spasms and panic disorders – inside his hotel room.

His tragic death comes as Combs awaits trial on multiple sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

On Monday, six new lawsuits followed a dozen other complaints that were filed over the last year that allege Combs subjected people to sexual abuse throughout his career, including horrific allegations by his ex-girlfriend Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura made last November. 

It was quickly followed by several more accusers stepping forward and a criminal investigation that led to Combs’ indictment by a grand jury last month.

A report described Combs as violent to women for decades and has used his power in the entertainment industry to silence his victims.

Many have compared him to the Jeffrey Epstein of music.  

Former friends, acquaintances, employees, Bad Boy artists and industry insiders told Rolling Stone that Diddy is a menacing figure who uses his public celebrity-adored persona to hide a pattern of sexual abuse and violence.

According to the report, Diddy’s history of sexual abuse traces back to before his music career started, with women who knew him at Howard University saying he showed signs of an abusive personality even then.

Combs’ attorney said: ‘Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. 

‘In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.’

Last week, a May 5 trial date was set for Diddy after he pleaded not guilty.