Liam Payne’s ex opens up about ‘unsafe and harmful’ experiences amid reports he forced her to get an abortion
Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, has broken her silence about his death, following reports he forced her to get an abortion when they were together.
Payne died aged 31 after falling from a third-story balcony at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024.
Henry, 25, issued her first statement following his death, during an interview with Rolling Stone, published on Tuesday. After noting that she loved Payne, who she dated from 2019 to 2022, “very much,” she shared why they broke up.
“Initially, it was the drug use and addictions that tore us apart. Anyone who has been with an addict understands how difficult that is,” Henry told the publication. “While I loved him deeply, he did things that hurt me in ways I’ll never fully understand, and he continued to hurt me years after we broke up.”
“On drugs, he became someone unrecognizable — so different from his sober self,” she continued. “I kept hoping each incident would be a wake-up call for him to get help, but it never was.”
She said she “tried to be there for” Payne as much as she could when they were dating since she convinced herself that she “could fix things” and “he would change.” However, she ended up putting herself in situations “that were unsafe and harmful” and ignored “every red flag” because she wanted to help him.
“I let myself believe that love could be stronger than addiction, that if I endured enough, if I sacrificed enough, he would see how much I cared and finally choose a different path,” Henry added. “But that’s not how addiction works. No matter how much I tried to save him, I was drowning in the process.”
She continued to claim that the former One Direction alum was struggling with things, like “parts of his identity” that he wasn’t ready to face when they were together.
“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,” she added. “I stood by him in his darkest moments, through the chaos, through the pain, through things that broke me in ways I can’t explain.”
She confessed that once the relationship ended, she felt “nothing but emptiness,” with the realization that the love she had and sacrifices she made for Payne “weren’t enough.” While she was “heartbroken” when they split, she knew she wasn’t to blame for it.
“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,” she added.
The influencer concluded her statement by sharing what “hurt the most” for her, as she looks back on the relationship after Payne’s death.
“I’m left with the aftermath of his actions that continue to unfold. 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,” she said.
Her comments came months after she revealed that she got an abortion, hinting she got it done while she was dating Payne. During an interview with People in May, she discussed how in her novel, Looking Forward, the main character, Mallory, went through the emotional experience of getting a non-surgical abortion, just like Henry did.
“What I went through in real life is very similar to what Mallory went through in the book. I definitely did have some complications, and I did have to go to the hospital alone,” she explained. “It was very lonely, having these men tell you: ‘Oh, it’s going to feel like a heavy period, it’s not going to be that painful, it’s going to be easy.’ But I’m like, you’ve never even gone through anything like [this], so how would you know to tell me?”
She confessed that while she didn’t necessarily want to get an abortion at the time, it was the right decision for the sake of the relationship she was in.
“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have done it. But then also, if I were to have made a different decision, then I would’ve lost the person that I loved. There were definitely difficult conversations about it. But looking back now, things happen for a reason,” she added.
Henry did not directly respond to the abortion in her newest statement, although the Rolling Stone report included sources saying Payne forced her to have one.
In January, Payne’s medical cause of death was confirmed by Dr Roberto Victor Cohen as “polytrauma,” meaning he’d sustained multiple traumatic injuries. A preliminary toxicology report in October also found “multiple substances” in his system, including “pink cocaine,” when he died.
Days before Payne’s death, the Daily Mail reported that Henry had issued a cease and desist against him, accusing him of repeatedly contacting her. She also alleged that the singer continuously contacted her friends and family, including her mother.
“Maya Henry issued a cease and desist last week to Payne following the emergence of new and concerning information,” the model’s lawyers told MailOnline. “She has retained attorneys Marco Crawford and Daniel Cerna to represent her. At this time, that is her only comment on the matter.”
Payne and Henry first confirmed their relationship in September 2019, nearly a year after they were first spotted together. Although they got engaged in 2020, they split up in June 2021. However, they rekindled their romance months later before finally breaking up in May 2022.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help in the US by contacting the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP
In the UK, you can access help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
