Liam Payne’s dark side laid bare as ex Maya Henry reveals shocking truths about late star

One Direction star Liam Payne’s former fiancée Maya Henry has spoken out for the first time since his tragic death as she reflected on their rocky relationship

Liam Payne and Maya Henry had a rocky relationship

Liam Payne’s ex fiancée Maya Henry has spoken out for the first time since his shock death and made a series of bombshell claims about her relationship with the late star.

The One Direction singer tragically died at the age of 31 in October last year after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was in a relationship with girlfriend Kate Cassidy at the time of his death, having started dating in 2022. Liam was previously with Maya on and off from 2018 till 2022.

The former couple had even considered tying the knot, yet Maya has claimed there were many strains on their relationship. Maya insisted she was hurt “for years” after they broke up due to their tumultuous time together. Last year, Maya wrote a fictionalised account of her time with Liam in her novel, Looking Forward.

Just under two weeks before his death, Maya posted a TikTok where she claimed Liam has been harassing her, her family, and her friends from various iCloud accounts. Maya’s lawyer sent him a cease and desist order days later to demand he stopped harassing her. Now, the influencer turned author has laid bare the dark side of their romance in a lengthy statement – while other sources and those close to the star spoke out on the star’s behaviour. Maya declined to answer specific questions on their rocky romance – but shared a statement. Here, we take a look at all the bombshell claims…

Liam and Maya had an on and off relationship ( 
Image:
Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation)

Maya has spoke out for the first time ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Bvlgari UK)

Being held ‘captive’ by star’s drug use

In a written statement to Rolling Stone, Maya opened up on Liam’s drug use as she admitted it was what “tore them apart”. Maya explained feeling torn as while she “loved him deeply” the singer “did things to hurt me in ways I’ll never fully understand”. Maya also claimed Liam “continued to hurt me years after we broke up”.

She said: “On drugs, he became someone unrecognisable – so different from his sober self. I kept hoping each incident would be a wake-up call for him to get help, but it never was. I tried to be there for him. I loved him so much that I convinced myself I could fix things.”

Maya added: “Anyone who has been with an addict understands how difficult that is.” Describing how she had “tried to be there” for Liam, Maya revealed she had mistakenly believed she could “fix things” and thought that if she held on for long enough, she could make him change. By her own admission, this often meant “ignoring every red flag” and putting herself in “unsafe” situations.

Meanwhile, a source close to Maya claimed to the publication that Liam’s drinking, drug use and mental health struggles were “such a burden” that the singer “couldn’t work properly”. The source added that Maya was “kind of held captive” by the star’s struggles as she couldn’t “do anything”.

By the time the pair split Maya learned the full extent of Liam’s addictions as it has been claimed by a source it was “normal” for Liam to do “cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and pharmaceutical pills”. It has also been claimed Liam “got into smoking heroin”.

Harrowing abortion ultimatum

The publication also claims that Maya learned she was pregnant in 2020, and Liam ‘gave her an ultimatum’ – it is claimed the options he gave her were to have an abortion and stay in the relationship or “raise the kid alone and he will not acknowledge either of them”.

They added the move was a “surprise” to Maya as Liam “wanted to have a family, and they were trying” to conceive. Maya later went on to have an abortion.

Sexting betrayals

Maya hinted at betrayals in their relationship as she said: “I saw the signs; I felt the distance. In the end, it wasn’t just the betrayals or the addictions that broke us — it was the realization that I had spent years in something that was never what I thought it was. I don’t fault him for his struggles.”

The publication also claims that Maya discovered sexting conversations “with strangers” when he “accidentally broadcasted them to their TV”.

Heartbreaking split after becoming ‘tired’

Liam and Maya split in 2022 – an insider claimed the influencer was “tired” of “babysitting”. They added: “Maya spent years helping and staying by the side of Liam, who in return wouldn’t get help or seek help for his drug use, violent outbursts, or addictions.

Maya felt ’empty’ after their split ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

They started dating in 2018 ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fri)
Meanwhile, in her statement Maya detailed the pain she felt from their split as she “left with nothing but emptiness”. Maya said she had stood by Liam “in his darkest moments” and “through things that broke her in ways she can’t explain”. She insisted: “But what I do know is this: It wasn’t about me or anything I did. It was about struggles beyond my control. And in the end, I had to choose myself. I had to walk away, no matter how much it hurt, because staying in his world meant losing myself.”

More heartache after Liam’s death

Maya admitted what hurts her the most is that “even after his death, I’m left with the aftermath of his actions that continue to unfold”. She claimed: “As I’ve uncovered the extent of his non-consensual image sharing — images he acquired during our engagement and shared without my knowledge or consent — I’m faced with the complexity of grieving for someone I cared so deeply about despite the pain they have caused me.”