CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses mental health and drug abuse issues.
Geoff Payne, the father of late star Liam Payne, is being sued for $10M and accused of defamation by his son’s friend, 35-year-old Argentinian businessman Rogelio “Roger” Nores.
This action comes after the statements made by Payne in late October 2024, who claims that he was only able to speak to his son via Nores or Liam’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, and that the two were part of a “care group” sent to “keep Liam busy”.
Geoff allegedly also told police that Nores took Liam to see an unnamed psychiatrist and lied to the doctor about Liam’s substance-abuse issues in order to prescribe psychiatric medication, against the health recommendations of Liam’s previous doctor.
In a 263-page complaint filed on January 15, Nores alleges that Geoff Payne made “misleading, false and defamatory” statements against him to Buenos Aires detectives, accusing Payne of causing “irreparable damage” to Nores’ reputation, valued at $10M.
The joint statement released to One Direction’s Instagram account. (Source: Instagram)
The lawsuit also alleged that Nores’ friendship with Liam was “misrepresented” and that he “did not have a legal duty to Liam”.
“Geoff needs to backtrack on his [sworn] statements as he very well knows I wasn’t Liam’s nurse or caretaker. Liam, who I miss every day, was my dear friend and independent, brilliant, respectful free man who did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Nores stated that all “net financial proceeds of the judicial proceedings for the benefit of Liam Payne’s son [Bear]”.
Roger Nores was one of the last people to see the 31-year-old former One Direction singer alive before he fell to his death from a three-storey Buenos Aires hotel balcony on October 16, 2024.
Argentinian prosecutors have since confirmed that the late star died from “polytrauma”, a medical term used to describe multiple and traumatic injuries to a patient’s body and internal organs.
Nores was also one of five people charged with manslaughter in connection to Payne’s death, with court documents listed by Judge Laura Bruniard in December 2024 alleging that he failed to “fulfill his duties of care, assistance and help” to the singer and that he “abandoned him to his luck knowing that he was incapable of fending for himself and knowing that [Payne] suffered from multiple addictions”.
Nores has since denied his connection with Payne’s death, telling media: “I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times and left 40 minutes before this happened.”
“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.”
The estate of Liam Payne has since responded, declining to retract their statements and accusing Nores of “seeking to interfere with a police investigation by pressuring [Geoff] to change his evidence”.
“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.”
The estate further describes Nores’ choice to donate the lawsuit’s proceeds to Liam’s son as “pointless” and that it would cause “irreparable damage”.
Help is available.
If you’re in distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or chat online. If it’s an emergency, please call 000.
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Reach out to Headspace or Beyond Blue for support, or make an appointment with your GP.
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