Liam Payne’s father is being legally tackled by the late star’s close friend Roger Nores, who is alleging defamation, accusing the late singer’s father, Geoff Payne, of allegedly making false and defamatory statements about him.
Nores is one of the five people charged as suspects in the death of Payne. He is facing manslaughter charges for “failing to fulfill his duties of care, assistance and help” towards the singer after having “abandoned him to his luck knowing that he was incapable of fending for himself and knowing that he [Payne] suffered from multiple addictions.”
Why Is Liam Payne’s Father Getting Sued?
Nores’ lawsuit was filed in Florida on Wednesday, January 15, and in it, he alleged that Geoff made untrue statements about him in sworn declarations to Buenos Aires police. As part of these statements, Geoff claimed that Nores had “full responsibility for Liam’s care during this last period when I was not there.”
The statement may seem simple, but it has put Nores in a quandary as it makes him liable for the manslaughter charge he is trying to avoid.
The charge accuses him of “failing to fulfill his duties of care, assistance and help” towards the singer after having “abandoned him to his luck knowing that he was incapable of fending for himself and knowing that he [Payne] suffered from multiple addictions.”
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Roger Nores has repeatedly denied these claims. He states in the lawsuit that he “never agreed to be and was never the caretaker of Liam.” He also claims that these statements have negatively impacted his public image and led to “extensive damages.”
The filing pledges that all of the money awarded from the suit would go directly to Liam’s seven-year-old son Bear, whom he shared with his ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole. In an interview, Nores said, “All the proceeds will be donated to my friend’s son.”
“Geoff needs to backtrack on his [sworn] statement as he very well knows I wasn’t Liam’s nurse or caretaker. Liam, who I miss every day, was my dear friend and an independent, brilliant, respectful, free man who did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted,” he added.
What We Now Know About Liam Payne’s Death
Nores was one of the five people charged in connection to Liam Payne’s death. The talented singer lost his life on October 16, 2024, after tumbling from a third-story balcony at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
When Liam’s death investigation started, Nores was listed as a “representative” of the singer and was “held criminally responsible” for his death. Charges against him highlighted how Nores left Liam, even though he knew “he was incapable of caring for himself” and an addict.
After Liam’s death, Roger was given an “abandonment followed by death” charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. However, after further review of the case, a judge reduced the charge to “homicidio culposo.” It means “wrongful death” due to “imprudence and negligence.” With such a charge, Nores could face one to five years if convicted. But, he has pled not guilty to the charges.
How Liam Payne’s Father Has Responded
Liam Payne’s father, Nores Payne, has claimed that he sent a demand defamation retraction letter to Geoff’s lawyers on January 8. However, Geoff’s legal team refused to retract Geoff’s earlier statements to authorities.
In their response letter, Geoff’s attorneys accused Roger of pressuring [Geoff] to change his “evidence.” It also said they would “bring his actions to the attention of the Argentinian authorities.”
Geoff’s attorney continued, “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).”
Highlighting Nores’s gesture to send all of the proceeds from the suit to Liam’s son, the estate described the move as “pointless.” It also claimed that the lawsuit itself would be causing Bear Payne more “irreparable damage.”
Who Is Liam Payne’s Father?
Liam Payne’s father is a fitter named Geoff Payne, and he welcomed him with his wife, an infant nurse named Karen. Liam was born at New Cross Hospital in the Heath Town district of Wolverhampton on August 29, 1993. He had two older sisters named Nicola and Ruth.
Payne had a troubled beginning as he was born three weeks premature and suffered frequent illnesses. But his family never gave up on him, nursing him till he was a big, strong man. Only to lose him to an untimely death.
Was Liam Payne and His Father Close?
Liam Payne was not just close to his father; he had a great relationship with all his family members. In 2019, he revealed that his dad had been the driving force behind him entering the “X factor” at first at age 14.
Liam was eliminated after the Judge’s House round in the competition. But he returned to audition again in season 7, and his family was behind him in support. He was grouped with fellow singers Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, and the audience loved them.
That was the birth of their boy band, and as they rose to stardom, Liam was supported by his parents. The singer revealed in December 2019 that Geoff even helped him create CDs to help promote his music.
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When Liam and his band achieved real fame, his parents missed him intensely and were very vocal about it. Geoff said that he mourned missing “rites of passage,” like buying him his first beer or seeing him finish school.
Luckily for them, Liam never forgot his roots and maintained a close relationship with all of them despite his stardom. Little wonder his death hit them as hard as it has.
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