Liam Payne was struggling with legal issues ahead of his death.
As Perezcious readers, the One Direction alum fell to his death from a third-floor room at a hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. He was reportedly drunk and on drugs, acting erratically, and trashing his room. Hotel staff called 911 for help, but authorities sadly didn’t arrive in time. It’s still unclear if it was an intentional fall or not. Liam had been open about mental health struggles and suicide ideation in the past, but an investigation is underway to get to the bottom of what occurred.
Related: Liam’s Final Single Before Death Had A Heartbreaking Inspiration
That said, a source is opening up now about why he was having such a hard time in his final days — and it has to do with legal trouble with his ex-fiancée, Maya Henry. If you don’t know, Maya had been getting more and more candid about her allegedly abusive relationship with the singer, to whom she was linked on and off from 2018 until 2022.
Apparently, all of the drama was really weighing on the What Makes You Beautiful artist. A source with knowledge of the situation told People on Wednesday night:
“[Liam] was extremely overwhelmed by all of the legal issues.”
Oof.
In May, Maya released a novel, Looking Forward, inspired by her romance with him. But at the time, it wasn’t clear just how much was pulled from her reality. Just earlier this week, however, she started to share more vulnerable details about her past with the pop star. For instance, she claimed that he made her get an abortion at home because he didn’t want it leaking to the press — only to allegedly leave her alone to deal with complications by herself. Awful.
In recent TikTok videos, she also alleged that he’d been relentlessly reaching out to her, her mother, and her friends in an effort to get in contact with her after their breakup — even allegedly often threatening suicide. She explained in a video last week:
“It’s always from different phone numbers too. I never know where it’s going to come from. … Also [he] will email me. Not only me, but he’ll blow up my mom’s phone. Is that normal behavior to you?”
She also claimed he “weaponized” his fans, she shared:
“He says that he ‘preys on One Direction fans because they will always be loyal to him and they won’t tell on him.'”
@mayahenry Replying to @marie anways sorry for the rant but things need to be addressed
On this past Monday’s episode of The Internet Is Dead podcast, she added:
“He would always message me ever since we broke up, like ‘Oh, I’m not well.’ He would always play with death and be like, ‘Well, I’m gonna die. I’m not doing well.’”
She continued:
“He would text my mom, ‘I’m not doing well, have Maya contact me.’ Because I wouldn’t respond. And it’s just always the same cycle.”
And while she would try to help him, she ultimately “felt like it was a manipulation” tactic. She expressed:
“As of recent events that have happened, I can’t speak on legally. It’s just gotten so much worse… but I always just felt really bad.”
And there’s more that ties it all together. According to DailyMail.com back on Monday, all this constant contact led Maya to issue a cease-and-desist order last week. Her lawyers told the outlet that she issued the order “following the emergence of new and concerning information.” They did not elaborate on what this “new” information was.
Given all this, maybe it’s no surprise to hear Liam was having a hard time in his last days. It’s just so, so sad.
That said, it’s extremely important to remember that no matter what happened, whether this fall was intentional or not, this was NOT Maya’s fault. She has every right to not only share her story but also take up legal action that she felt was necessary for her own protection. Someone’s reaction to that is out of her control, and their own decision. So, nobody should be placing any blame on her! We imagine, after everything she’s allegedly been through with him, that this was just as shocking and complicated for her as it has been for the rest of the world.
Our hearts go out to Liam’s loved ones, his little boy, and his fans. So heartbreaking to see things end this way…
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.
Related Posts
