Liam Payne’s friend Roger Nores, who is charged with manslaughter relating to the singer’s death, has claimed the One Direction star almost died of a drug overdose before his death
Liam Payne almost died from a drug overdose and was sectioned just months before his death, his friend Roger Nores has claimed.
One Direction star Liam died aged 31 on October 16 last year after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He died from “multiple trauma” sustained from the fall and suffered “internal and external bleeding” – drugs such as cocaine were also found in his system at the time.
Five people have been charged in connection with the singer’s death – the hotel’s manager, Gilda Martin, its receptionist, Esteban Grassi, and Nores have been charged with manslaughter, according to Argentina’s prosecutor’s office. If found guilty, the three could be imprisoned for up to five years.
Hotel workers Braian Nahuel Paiz, a waiter, and Ezequiel Pereyra have been charged with supplying drugs to the singer. The prison sentence for supplying drugs is more severe and ranges between four and 15 years.
Nores is accused of manslaughter for allegedly “failing to fulfil his duties of care, assistance and help” to the singer. He strongly denies the charges, claiming he “never abandoned” Liam before the star died.
Nores has made a series of claims about Liam in the months prior to his tragic death, including that he almost died of a drug overdose in May 2024 and was sectioned after. In his interview with the Mail, he claims Payne had been rushed to hospital, resuscitated by doctors and had been recovering in intensive care.
He claims he found out via a phone call from Liam’s manager, Steve Finan O’Connor. Nores alleges Liam’s father Geoff had the singer sectioned after he was discharged, and that they tried to have him sectioned for 90 days originally before this was cut down to 30, and that Liam “talked his way out” after just three.
Nores alleges Liam was “clearly unwell” and weighed just 60kg, having lost 20kg, when he met the singer in Florida last summer. He claims Liam managed to turn things around. “Liam then began to go to the gym every day,” Nores said.
“He was really looking after himself. And it wasn’t easy. He required 24-hour attention. Anyone who’s looked after an addict knows that it isn’t straightforward. It was draining, but I wanted to do it – that’s what friends are for. After four months, I truly believed he had turned a corner – but then everything went wrong.”
Nores claims Liam’s dad Geoff suggested Liam join the judging panel of Building The Band, the Netflix talent show coming out later this year which was being filmed in Manchester. Nores said he didn’t want Liam to do the show as he felt it would be “too easy” for the star to relapse.
It’s alleged Liam then relapsed into using drugs while filming the show, and continued to use drugs on holiday after filming wrapped in August. An alleged friend of Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy told the Mail: “Kate would ring me in tears.
“She was stuck in a foreign country and Liam was completely off the rails. They put out smiling images on Instagram for the fans, but the reality couldn’t have been more different.”
Daily Star has contacted Liam’s representatives for comment.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
