The father of late One Direction star Liam Payne, Geoff Payne, has been named in a US defamation case by the late singer’s friend Roger Nores. Payne, who died at the age of 31 from “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage” after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, has seemingly, left behind a complex legal battle.
Five people were charged over his death, including Mr. Nores, who was accused of manslaughter. Argentine prosecutors claimed he “abandoned” the singer and failed in his duty of care responsibilities.
In a legal complaint filed in Florida on Wednesday, Mr. Nores claimed that Payne’s father made “false” declarations to Argentine officials, which “contained material omissions, and many parts were not based on personal knowledge.” The disputed statements include allegations that, “due to his addictions,” Payne was in the care of his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and Mr. Nores. However, Mr. Nores asserts that his relationship with Payne was misrepresented, stating they had a “dear mutual friendship” but that he “never had a legal duty of care” towards him.
“Liam was an independent adult person who made all his own decisions,” the lawsuit stated. It noted how Mr. Nores was “never the caretaker of Liam.” He added that the statements made by Payne’s father, which were shared with the media, had an “adverse impact” on “Liam Payne’s legacy” of “mega proportions with extensive damages.”
The new document stated that the “net financial proceeds” from the lawsuit will be donated to the One Direction and solo star’s son Bear, whom he shared with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl. Cheryl was among the mourners at Payne’s funeral in November, alongside his former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik. The UK inquest into Payne’s death has been adjourned until a pre-inquest review on 6 November.
