As part of ’s death investigation, the singer’s friend testified about his drug history.
“I was a friend who loved him very much, who helped him selflessly in everything I could, who spent my own money to help him, and even then it was not enough,” Nores wrote in a recent court filing obtained by Rolling Stone. “I do not consider that I deserve the accusation that is being leveled at me.”
Nores had been accused of abandoning Payne ahead of his death. The One Direction singer, who was 31, suffered a fatal fall from a third-story hotel balcony in Argentina in October. An autopsy revealed that Payne sustained multiple injuries and had various drugs in his system.
Payne had previously been candid about his struggles with substance abuse and past visits to rehab facilities. Nores detailed his knowledge of Payne’s history in the court filing, which is not a deposition.
“Because of his addictions, Payne continued to attend rehab centers of his own free will in an attempt to overcome them,” Nores said. “Unfortunately, these treatments were not successful and his addiction worsened as he began to use harder drugs, such as heroin.”
Citing one incident in September 2023, Nores claimed that Payne “suffered from a severe intoxication that left him close to death”, and apparently left him hospitalized in Milan. Nores further alleged that Payne was hospitalized twice in London later that year.
“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,” the documents add.
According to Nores, Payne’s addiction struggles then began to worsen.
“Liam suffered a new relapse in his addiction, so he was again taken to the hospital in serious condition, and the professionals had to resort to resuscitation maneuvers to save his life,” Nores claimed, adding that Payne only started to use drugs again by August of this year.
Nores further denied that he abandoned Payne while knowing the musician wasn’t able to care for himself, reiterating comments he made last month.
“I never abandoned Liam. I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” Nores told the Daily Mail in November. “There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen.”
He added at the time, “I wasn’t Liam’s manager; he was just my very dear friend … I’m really heartbroken with this tragedy, and I’ve been missing my friend every day.”
Payne was laid to rest in November after his body was repatriated back to his native England. He is survived by his parents, his sisters and his 7-year-old son, whom he shared with ex .
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
