Liam Payne’s battle with substance abuse reportedly brought him dangerously close to death several times in the months leading up to his tragic fall in October. His friend, Roger Nores, who faces accusations of abandonment in relation to the incident, has shared disturbing details about Payne’s struggles with drugs, including hospitalizations, multiple rehab stints, and even resuscitation attempts. Nores claims these health crises were largely due to the severity of Payne’s drug abuse, which escalated in the two years before his untimely death.
In a legal document obtained by Rolling Stone, Nores outlined the extent of Payne’s addiction issues, suggesting that he was hospitalized several times for overdoses, with one particularly severe case in September 2023 that left him “close to death.” According to Nores, the singer was even forced to cancel a planned tour of Latin America after falling critically ill from intoxication, an incident he attributes to Payne’s heroin use. The document includes Nores’ defense against accusations of neglect, asserting that he did everything he could to support his friend, even spending his own money on attempts to help Payne through these difficult times.
Nores also provided insight into the rehabilitation process, claiming that despite Payne’s repeated efforts to seek treatment, his addiction only deepened. He explains that, by the time of his death, Payne had developed a reliance on harder substances, including heroin, which led to multiple close calls with death. Nores recalls that Payne’s rehabilitation attempts, both in Europe and the United States, were ultimately unsuccessful as his addiction intensified. At one point, he was hospitalized twice in London in late 2023, requiring resuscitation after overdosing. Nores insists that, during these emergencies, neither family nor friends were able to prevent these life-threatening situations.
As Payne’s drug abuse continued to spiral, Nores describes a further incident in 2024 where the singer relapsed after attending a rehab facility in Spain. He left the treatment center prematurely and soon overdosed again, needing medical intervention to survive. Nores goes on to explain that Payne’s father attempted to place him in psychiatric care following this episode, but the singer rejected the suggestion. Nores claims that, in an effort to avoid conflict, Payne’s family and friends allowed him to use drugs shortly before his departure to the United States for further treatment.
This heartbreaking sequence of events highlights the severity of Payne’s addiction and the tragic consequences of his ongoing struggles with substance abuse. Despite the best efforts of those around him, Payne’s addiction proved too powerful, ultimately leading to his fatal fall.
