A friend of Liam Payne has alleged that the One Direction stars drug use had brought him “close to death” on multiple occasions, before his fatal fall in Argentina in October.
Roger Nores, a friend of Liam, has made the claims in a 91-page document to support his defence to the charge of abandonment followed by death. This charge accuses him of leaving Payne, knowing that he was unable to take care of himself and in an unstable state.
The Rolling Stone reports that Nores wrote “I was a friend who loved him very much, who helped him selflessly in everything I could”, arguing “I do not consider that I deserve the accusation that is being levelled at me.” If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years in prison.
Last week, a judge called for an “indagatoria” – requiring suspects to be questioned as part of an ongoing investigation. In response, Nores has submitted his version of events as well as screenshots of conversations from people close to Liam.
The friend of the late popstar asserts in upsetting detail that in the past couple of years, Payne’s drug habits had allegedly led to multiple hospitalizations and stays in rehab, as well as two suspected resuscitations to save his life following overdoses – once in London in 2023, and another time in 2024.
Roger also states that Liam stayed clean and sober during the summer, including during a trip to see his former bandmate Louis Tomlinson perform in Argentina – but by August, Nores claims he and Payne had a “strong argument” where he insisted that the artist not return to Manchester, where he believed the singer had relapsed intro drug use.
Fans were left heartbroken in October after the singer passed away following a fall from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Airies, Argentina. He was reportedly visiting the country to reunite with his old One Direction bandmate Niall Horan at a show on October 2. A viral video taken at the concert showed Payne dancing and singing to screaming fans from his crowd seat.
The Argentinian prosecutor’s office later declared that the cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding – toxicology reports have also shown that the musician had pink cocaine and other intoxicating substances in his system at the time of the fall.
Since his death, tributes have come in from friends, fans and collaborators. Argentinian supporters have been marching for justice in the capital, intending to put pressure on the authorities to hold people to account, specifically staff at the CasaSur Palermo hotel where he died.
As songs from his former group One Direction have resurged on the charts, a posthumous collab with Sam Pounds has been delayed, with the producer keeping in mind the wishes of the singer’s grieving family – more on that here.
