Liam Payne allegedly “risked death several times” due to drug abuse. This is what his friend Roger Nores declared, accused last month in relation to the singer's death due to abandonment of a person resulting in death as he was apparently together with Payne in the days immediately preceding his death.
Now, in a 91-page document obtained by Rolling Stone On Thursday, Nores described the alleged severity of Payne's substance abuse, which, according to his version of events, led to numerous hospital stays, repeated visits to rehabilitation centers and two resuscitations in the last two years alone.
The document — which includes Nores' version of events and screenshots of conversations with people close to the former One Direction member — was submitted by Nores to support his defense against the charges.
«He was my friend and I loved him a lot. I helped him without profit in everything I could, I spent money from my own pocket to help him, and not even this was enough,” Nores writes in Spanish in the document obtained by Rolling Stone. “I don't consider myself to deserve the accusation that is being made against me.”
In the document, Nores states that Payne would have been continuously admitted to rehabilitation centers both in Europe and in the United States in the months preceding his disappearance; that he used heroin, and that the consumption of substances had brought him close to death several times.
According to what Nores said, in September 2023 Payne “suffered serious intoxication that almost killed him” and that he was hospitalized for three days in Milan. It also claims that, at that time, Payne was forced to cancel a tour of Latin America due to the accident and subsequent stay in a rehabilitation center (Payne had actually canceled the tour that August, justifying the decision with a « severe kidney infection”).
“Due to his addictions, Payne continued to attend rehabilitation centers of his own volition in an attempt to overcome them,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, these treatments were unsuccessful and his addiction worsened, resulting in him using harder drugs, such as heroin.”
Nores claims Payne was hospitalized twice more in London in late 2023 and was taken to hospital by ambulance due to his “high levels of intoxication”. “The professionals had to resort to resuscitation maneuvers to save his life, without his family or friends being able to do anything to avoid these situations or help him.”
Nores also stated that Payne's drug problems would worsen further in early 2024, and that Payne would enter a rehabilitation center in Spain in March. However, Payne allegedly left the center before completing treatment and returned to using drugs. Nores added that, the following month, Payne would be revived again following a near-overdose.
“Liam had a new relapse in his addiction, so he was taken to hospital again in serious condition, and professionals had to resort to resuscitation maneuvers to save his life,” says Nores. He also adds that, after this episode, Payne's father would have tried to have him admitted to a psychiatric treatment center, but that Payne would have opposed the idea.
The artist would later return to the United Kingdom. In an Aug. 23 email obtained by Rolling StoneNores wrote to Payne's lawyer and father Geoff about the decision, saying he was “really concerned for the well-being” of his friend. “I hope you can involve professional doctors to regularly check his health as soon as possible, as I did while he was in the United States. From now on I will keep myself completely out of the situation and disconnected, and I wish you all the best with Liam's health and career.”
Representatives for Payne's family in Argentina and the United Kingdom did not immediately respond to 's request for comment Rolling Stone regarding Nores' statement. Nores also had no comment.
