A former pop star died a tragic death this week and it didn't take long before his untimely passing was linked to the sex abuse allegations against disgraced hip hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

Liam Payne, 31, formerly of the pop group One Direction, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-story balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to Radar Online.

Shortly before Payne's death, amid the mounting allegations of wrongdoing against Combs, old videos had been circulating of the singer recalling a previous uncomfortable meeting with the rapper and other celebrities at a party.

Payne recalled the "daunting" experience of meeting Combs and his "evil laugh"

The International Business Times reported that in 2017, Payne shared his awkward encounter with Combs at an A-List party during an interview with Australian KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O, when he spotted Combs hanging out with fellow rap star Jay-Z and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

Believing Combs to be the "most approachable" of the three celebrities, Payne recalled, "I went over to speak to him and Jay Z, and as I shook his hand, he just chuckled ... the most evil laugh I've ever heard."

"So I'm a little bit fearful of that man," he said of Combs and noted that he'd "missed the mark" in his estimation that Combs would be the easiest of the three stars to meet in what turned out to be "the most daunting celebrity experience" of his life.

Separate recollection of "awkward" meeting with Combs and Jay-Z

According to the Daily Mail, Payne shared a similar account of his experience meeting Combs at a party during a 2017 appearance on the BBC's "The Graham Norton Show," where he also recalled the hip hop mogul's "evil laugh" and unsettling presence.

Seeing Combs and Jay-Z together, Payne recounted, "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."

He said Combs had an "evil laugh" and engaged him with "the longest handshake ever" and stated, "I'm just sat there looking into P Diddy's eyes and thinking when is this going to end?"

"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," Payne added. "'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."

Is there a connection between Combs and Payne's death?

The Daily Mail reported that various conspiracy theories are now taking off online that link Payne's tragic death this week to the resurfacing of his critical comments about Combs, with the implication being that the indicted and jailed Combs had the former pop star murdered.

That may be a stretch, particularly given that all indications thus far from authorities are that Payne was alone at the hotel right before he fell from the third-story balcony, though other individuals had reportedly been there earlier and officials are said to be investigating the "possible involvement of third parties" in the incident while searching intently for two "key witnesses" who are believed to be the last people to see him alive.

Furthermore, media reports and photos indicate that evidence of substantial alcohol and illicit drug abuse was found in the hotel room and, per IBT, Payne has previously opened up about his addictions, mental health issues, and the "severe" suicidal thoughts he battled.

Meanwhile, a growing list of celebrities and major players in the music industry who are purportedly linked to Combs' alleged wrongdoing continues to take shape by way of mounting lawsuits filed by dozens of accusers, according to Business Insider, but Payne's name is notably not mentioned.