Rogelio “Roger” Nores, a close friend of the late singer Liam Payne, is suing Geoff Payne, Liam’s father, for defamation. Rolling Stone has reported that according to a new lawsuit, Nores claims Geoff made perjurious statements to an Argentinian prosecutor which were both false and damaging, leading to over $10 million in losses.
Nores disputes the assertions that he had any role in Liam’s care or provided him with drugs. “All the proceeds will be donated to my friend’s son,” Nores said, insisting he was merely a friend to Liam, who he describes as “an independent, brilliant, respectful free man.”
Nores also stated: “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.”
The suit emphasises that despite the statements being made abroad, they resulted in damages in Palm Beach County/Florida.
Liam Payne died following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, and an autopsy showed a variety of drugs in his system. While Argentine authorities have charged Nores and others with manslaughter, accusing them of negligence leading to Liam’s death, Nores stands firm on his innocence and has promised to give any money won in the lawsuit to Liam’s son, Bear, reports the Mirror.
Nores has claimed that he sent a defamation retraction letter to Geoff’s lawyers on January 8. In response, dated January 10 and included in the lawsuit, Liam’s estate refused to retract their statements, accusing Nores of “seeking to interfere with a police investigation by pressuring [Geoff] to change his evidence,” and stated they would “bring his actions to the attention of the Argentinian authorities.”
The letter from the estate read: “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).”
This development follows the charges against five individuals in connection with Liam Payne’s death. Besides Nores, staff members at the CasaSur Palermo hotel, including chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and head of security Gilda Martin, are reportedly facing manslaughter charges.
Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, and hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra, 21, have been accused of selling drugs to Liam and have been given 24 hours to return to court, as per local news outlet Infobae. The offence is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in Argentina.
Liam’s friend Nores, who claims to have left the hotel about an hour before the musician’s fatal fall, has reportedly been charged with negligent homicide and is prohibited from leaving the country.
Hotel staff made a pair of urgent 911 calls prior to the discovery of Liam’s body. The chief receptionist, believed to be the caller, reported a guest who had consumed “too many drugs and alcohol” and was “trashing the entire room”, before the call abruptly ended.
In a follow-up call, the same individual expressed concern for the guest’s safety due to a balcony in the room and implored the operator to dispatch help “urgently”.
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