More details have come to light about the chilling circumstances surrounding Liam Payne‘s death. The One Direction singer fell to his death on October 16 from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At first, many thought Payne’s substance abuse struggles had caught up with him, resulting in a suicide attempt. However, investigations by Argentine authorities have now resulted in three people, including a hotel employee, being charged.
One of the unnamed suspects arrested is accused of “the abandonment of a person followed by death.” Descriptions given by authorities reveal the person of interest ” accompanied the artist on a daily basis during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires,” prompting speculations that it is Rogelio Nores. Nores, an Argentine Tycoon, was a close pal of the late artist, often dubbed his manager. He regularly accompanied the For You singer on trips and was seen with him on multiple occasions.
Months before Payne’s tragic passing, he and Nores were seen at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood. As seen in photos, the singer’s father, Geoff Payne, joined the friends for the night out on June 4, 2024. The Teardrops singer opted for a navy blue shirt and black pants paired with white sneakers. Nores, on the other hand, donned a grey jacket over a black shirt and grey denim pants. The trio and a bodyguard walked into the establishment as a group, keeping some distance between themselves. However, upon closer look, Payne looked somber and isolated, refusing to even smile while the paparazzi flooded them.
Liam Payne’s Friend Denies Involvement In Death, Fans Blame Him
Per authorities, the friend has also been charged with being complicit in the supply of drugs. The suspect could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of both crimes. Following the confirmation of the arrests of the three suspects, Nores denied abandoning Payne. The businessman gave an emotional statement to Daily Mail, denying he is under any investigation.
“I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened. There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left.”
Nores added that he “could have never imagined something like this would happen.” He noted that he gave a statement to the prosecutor a day after Payne’s death and hasn’t spoken to any police officer ever since. He also cleared the air, saying he was only a dear friend and not a manager to the former boyband member. “I’m really heartbroken with this tragedy, and I’ve been missing my friend every day,” he concluded.
Despite Nores maintaining his innocence, fans on Reddit can’t help but point accusing fingers at him. “I’m so angry and sad for Liam,” one fan lamented. “Yeah, Liam is the one who took the drugs, but this was someone he trusted and surrounded himself with on his road to recovery. Just breaks my heart.” Another comment read, “OH MY GOD! Didn’t this exact same thing happen with Matthew Perry?? How disgusting to take advantage of addiction.”
