Liam Payne used heroin, came ‘close to death’ several times during addiction struggles, friend claims

Liam Payne’s drug use allegedly ramped up in the year before his death, leading to several hospitalizations and rehab stints, according to his friend Roger Nores.

In a lengthy court filing obtained by Page Six on Friday, Nores — who has been accused of abandoning Payne before his fatal fall from a hotel balcony in October — detailed the late singer’s addiction issues after a judge called for him to be questioned as part of the investigation.

In the document, which is not a deposition, Nores defended himself against the changes, which could land him up to 15 years behind bars.

“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,” he wrote in Spanish, per Rolling Stone. “I do not consider that I deserve the accusation that is being leveled at me.”

Nores claimed Payne had been in and out of rehabilitation centers “of his own free will” for nearly a year “in an attempt to overcome” his battle with substance abuse.

However, Nores alleged the “treatments were not successful, and [Payne’s] addiction worsened as he began to use harder drugs, such as heroin.”

The businessman further claimed Payne had to be resuscitated multiple times in the year leading up to his death.

Nores alleged that in September 2023 the former One Direction member “suffered from a severe intoxication that left him close to death.” The incident, which took place in Milan, left Payne in a hospital for days, according to Nores.

The energy entrepreneur said Payne postponed his Latin America tour to go to rehab shortly after. (The star announced the news in August, telling fans he had been hospitalized for “a serious kidney infection.”)

Nores claimed Payne was hospitalized in London two more times that year and had to be resuscitated due to “high levels of intoxication.”

“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,” he wrote.

Nores shared that Payne entered 2024 fighting the same demons and checked into rehab in Spain in March.

However, he allegedly left the facility before finishing treatment and nearly overdosed the following month, according to the Argentinian multimillionaire

While Payne’s family allegedly tried to get him help, Nores claimed the “Strip That Down” singer turned them down.

Payne eventually returned to the United States, where Nores said he remained clean for most of the summer.

However, Nores said he feared the “Polaroid” singer would relapse if he returned to England, leading to a “strong argument” between the two.

Page Six previously obtained an email Nores had sent to Payne’s team and father, Geoff Payne, in late August in which he told them he was “really concerned” about the crooner’s “well-being” in Manchester, where he knew several dealers.

“Liam stayed at my friend’s ranch down in Palm Beach and since the first day he arrived he was monitored and treated by professional doctors who specialize in addictions,” he wrote at the time. “He stayed fully clean without access to any hard drug [sic] during his whole stay.”

The email continued, “I hope you can bring professional doctors to check on his health regularly as soon as possible as I did while he was out in the US. I am going to stay fully out of the picture and disconnected from now on and I wish you all the best with Liam’s health and career.”

Part of Nores’ account lines up with what sources told Page Six shortly after the singer’s tragic death.

In October, multiple insiders told us that Payne had OD’d several times and those close to him were “shocked” when his manager signed him up for Netflix’s show “Building the Band,” which was filmed in Manchester over the summer.

“His manager pushed him to do the show, and there were a lot of worried texts exchanged between us,” said the source.

“We were shocked, there was no way he was in any shape to do this.”

Another insider who knew Payne told Page Six exclusively that the singer “had been cycling through periods of ruinous behavior for a long time” leading up to his death.

While Nores seemingly tried to cut ties with Payne, he was down in Argentina when the hitmaker died.

Local authorities are investigating him for an “abandonment followed by death” charge, as he was seen in Payne’s hotel hours before the “X Factor” alum fell from his third-floor balcony on Oct. 16.

Despite video and other eyewitnesses claiming Payne had been “acting erratic” leading up to the tragedy, Nores claimed his pal seemed fine when he left.