Liam Payne’s friends said he was ‘sectioned’ after drug overdose in months before death

Ex One Direction singer Liam Payne’s friend Roger Nores has claimed the star was sectioned last year and had to be resuscitated after an overdose months before his death

Singer Liam Payne was sectioned following an overdose just months before his tragic death, a friend has claimed.

The former One Direction singer died at the age of 31 in October following a fall from the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. After his death, police discovered substances in his hotel room, as well as damaged objects and furniture, according to the public prosecutor’s office.

Just hours before his death, Liam’s close friend Roger Nores was at the hotel with the star. Five people have been charged in Argentina in connection with the death, three with manslaughter and two with supplying cocaine. One of them is Nores, who was accused of manslaughter, with Argentinian prosecutors claiming he “abandoned” the singer and failed in his duty of care responsibilities.

Roger had met Liam in 2020 at a Vogue party in London and they struck up a close bond. The businessman has now made claims about the months before Liam’s tragic death as he said the star suffered from an overdose and was “sectioned” in May. Liam’s manager, Finan O’Connor, allegedly called Roger and told him that Liam had been rushed to hospital and resuscitated after an overdose, and was in intensive care in a critical condition.

Roger [left] became close friends with Liam after meeting in 2020

Roger has claimed Liam’s father, Geoff, had the singer sectioned following a serious drug overdose in May last year. He told Mail Online: “Originally, they tried to have him sectioned for 90 days. That ended up getting cut down to 30 days. But Liam talked his way out after just three.”

Following his release, Roger said he set Liam up with a team of medical professionals in a bid to help fight his addiction struggles. “He knew he needed help,” Roger said. “He did four months sober. Liam then began to go to the gym every day. 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.” Roger claimed that things quickly went downhill when Liam’s dad encouraged him to return to Manchester in August to appear in upcoming Netflix show Building The Band.

The businessman admitted he was against the idea as Liam “knew too many people in the UK; it would be too easy for him to relapse.” The friends reunited in Argentina on October 13 as Liam reportedly set out his plans for the future. Tragically, he died just three days later.

Liam’s dad Geoff reportedly had him sectioned last year ( 
Image:
Tim Thursfield / newsteam – NTI)

The singer met Roger in Argentina before his death ( 
Image:
@_derekmilton/tiktok)

Roger named Geoff Payne in a defamation lawsuit filed in the US last month. He alleged Liam’s father made sworn declarations to Argentine officials that were “false, contained material omissions, and many parts were not based on personal knowledge”. The contested statements include allegations that Liam was in the care of Roger and girlfriend Kate Cassidy “due to his addictions”, according to the lawsuit.

The court documents claim Roger’s relationship with the late singer was misrepresented, claiming the pair had a “dear mutual friendship” and he insisted he “never had a legal duty of care” towards him. Roger told publication: “We were friends and that was all I wanted to be.”

In a January 10 response, included in the lawsuit, Liam’s estate refused to retract the statements and accused Roger of “seeking to interfere with a police investigation by pressuring [Geoff] to change his evidence,” further stating they would “bring his actions to the attention of the Argentinian authorities.”

The response letter read: “The Estate could not take this matter more seriously, It has therefore taken the decision to support [Geoff] in this matter. [Geoff] denies, in the strongest possible terms, that he has defamed or otherwise caused any harm to your client (in the manner set out by your correspondence of 8 January 2025 or otherwise).”

Reports have also claimed Geoff tried to do all he could to safeguard his son months before his fatal fall. According toRolling Stone, Geoff tried to intervene in the weeks that followed Liam leaving rehab early. It’s claimed the star refused his father’s wishes to go into the treatment centre.

Liam’s team had ‘balked’ at the idea of him touring South America and thought he was ‘in no shape to be on the road’, according to reports. It has been claimed Liam missed several key promo opportunities for his single, including interviews, performances and events. A month before his death, Universal Republic, allegedly dropped him over these factors and concerns for the star’s health.