Liam Payne's Friend Speaks Out Amid Negligent Homicide Charge

Yahoo

11-02-2025

Originally appeared on E! Online
Roger Nores is sharing insight into his friendship with Liam Payne.
After the Argentinian prosecutors charged the businessman with negligent homicide in relation to the One Direction singer's October death, he detailed his relationship with the late 31-year-old.
'We would both offer a lot of emotional support,' Nores told Rolling Stone in an article published Feb. 11, noting that he 'never' used drugs and pursued sober activities with Payne. 'That was the core of our relationship. I was going through a lot of stuff with my girlfriend and family. We'd talk a lot about our relationships and how to go [about] them and how we were feeling.'
In December, Argentina's prosecutor confirmed that Nores was charged with negligent homicide and accused of 'failing to comply with his duties of care, assistance and aid,' and 'abandoning' Payne with knowledge of his substance abuse issues. But the energy mogul—who has sued Payne's dad Geoff Payne for defamation following a witness statement he made to Argentine authorities—pushed back on the responsibility his charges imply.
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'I was his friend,' Nores told Rolling Stone. 'I wasn't a doctor, I wasn't a psychiatrist, I wasn't his legal guardian. I never had any control of that. I wasn't his manager; I wasn't his father. You can only do so much.'
Meanwhile, Payne's estate responded to the defamation suit on behalf of his father in a statement obtained by People, '[Geoff] denies, in the strongest possible terms, that he has defamed or otherwise caused any harm.'
Payne died following a 40-foot fall from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel on Oct. 16. At the time of his death, he had cocaine, alcohol, and a prescription antidepressant in his system, according to a toxicology report obtained by E! News.
In addition to Nores, three other people have been charged in connection to the death of the 'Teardrops' singer—who was one-fifth of One Direction alongside Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik—per Argentina's prosecutor. CasaSur Palermo's manager, as well as the hotel's receptionist were similarly charged with negligent homicide. Meanwhile, two additional hotel employees were charged with supplying the 'Strip That Down' singer with cocaine. (E! News has been unable to reach the defendants for comment as it's unclear if they have retained counsel.)
Prior to his death, Payne had been candid about his struggles with substance and alcohol abuse—which he's said began amid the height of One Direction's fame.
'When we were in the band, the best way to secure us because of how big it got was to just lock us in our rooms,' Liam explained on the The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021. 'Of course, what's in the room? Mini-bar. So, at a certain point, I thought, 'Well I'm going to have a party for one.''
Keep reading for everything to know about Liam's tragic death…
When did Liam Payne die?How did Liam Payne die?What else did Liam Payne's autopsy say?What kind of drugs did Liam Payne have in his system?Did Liam Payne die by suicide?What have authorities shared about the events prior to Liam Payne's fall?What was said on the 911 call placed before Liam Payne's death?Have arrests been made in connection to Liam Payne's death?What else has the investigation included?What had Liam Payne shared prior to his death?What has One Direction said about Liam Payne's death?Has Liam Payne been laid to rest?
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