Roger Nores Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuit Against Liam Payne’s Late Father’s Estate Following Manslaughter Charge Drop

• Liam Payne’s friend Roger Nores has filed to dismiss his defamation lawsuit against the late singer’s father, Geoff Payne.
• Nores’ January lawsuit claimed that Payne’s father Geoff defamed him and made sworn statements that were “false” and caused “injury” following Payne’s death in October 2024.
• Manslaughter charges against Nores in connection with Payne’s death were dropped in February.

The late Liam Payne’s close friend Rogelio “Roger” Nores has requested the dismissal of his lawsuit against the One Direction singer’s father, Geoff Payne.

The businessman, 35, filed the lawsuit in January for defamation after being charged with manslaughter in December 2024 regarding the singer’s death on October 16, 2024. Following the dismissal of charges against Nores in February, he filed a notice to voluntarily dismiss his lawsuit on April 9. The document states that Nores “gives notice that the above-captioned action is voluntarily dismissed without prejudice.”

Nores, an Argentinian businessman, spent the final days of Payne’s life with him in Buenos Aires. Payne tragically died at the age of 31 after a fatal fall from the balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.

In his lawsuit, filed in Florida, Nores alleged that Geoff made sworn statements that were “false, contained material omissions, and many parts were not based on personal knowledge” which led to “injury” and damages exceeding $10 million.

In the extensive 263-page complaint, Nores asserted that his friendship with the late musician was distorted and emphasized that he “did not have a legal duty to Liam,” describing their relationship as one of “mutual dear friends.”

Payne’s estate responded to the claims by denying the defamation allegations and asserting that Geoff was simply cooperating with Argentinian authorities during the investigation of his son’s death.

The estate’s response stated, “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.”

Reports indicate that Nores’ lawsuit was prompted by statements made by Geoff on October 22 and October 26 to an Argentine prosecutor.

At that time, Geoff claimed he could communicate with his son only through Nores and Liam’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. However, Nores contended that Geoff’s family was able to reach Liam via phone, laptop, or through a bodyguard.

Despite Geoff’s sworn declaration, which stated that Nores was part of a “care group” designated to keep Liam occupied due to his vulnerable state, Nores denied almost all claims, stating he “never agreed to be the caretaker of Liam” and insisted they were merely friends.

In a recent interview, Nores discussed his friendship with Payne after being acquitted of manslaughter charges related to the musician’s death. He expressed, “As a friend, you see them having a drug problem and you do what you can, but at the end of the day, it’s their decision. You start seeing a chain of events, and it was just bad luck — it happened in a way that ended in tragedy.”

Nores mentioned he was with Payne constantly during “the last six months of his life,” stating, “We were together every single day, all the time, along with our girlfriends.” His attorney, Rafael Cuneo Libaron, confirmed that Nores had recommended rehabilitation to Payne’s family before his death, attributing the musician’s demise primarily to drug use.

A previous statement indicated that Nores was charged for allegedly “failing to fulfill his duties of care, assistance, and help” toward Payne and “abandoning him,” despite knowing about his struggles with “multiple addictions.”

Two individuals associated with the hotel, Ezequiel Pereyra and Braian Paiz, were also charged in December 2024 for allegedly providing drugs to Payne and currently remain in custody awaiting trial.

A preliminary autopsy revealed that Payne died from multiple injuries alongside “internal and external” hemorrhages. His toxicology report, released in November 2024, indicated the presence of “alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants” in his system.

A subsequent inquest in the U.K. confirmed the cause of death as “polytrauma,” according to a hearing conducted at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court in December 2024.

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