Liam Payne’s legal issues with ex-fiancée Maya Henry explained

One Direction singer has died aged 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires

Before Liam Payne’s death on Wednesday (16 October), the One Direction singer was embroiled in legal issues with his ex-fiancé Maya Henry.

The 31-year-old, who first found fame through the X Factor, died after falling from the third floor balcony of his hotel, the CasaSur Palermo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being investigated.

Payne began dating the 23-year-old Texan model in 2019, becoming engaged the following year. By June 2021, the couple had decided to end their relationship, but rekindled later the same year before breaking off their engagement for a second and final time in May 2022.

However, the Daily Mail reported that Henry had issued a cease and desist against Payne last week, 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 Liam 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.”

The singer – who also shares a child with former X Factor judge Cheryl Cole – had been in a relationship with Kate Cassidy, a social media influencer since October 2022. He was reported to be staying with his girlfriend, before she left two days before his death.

Payne died age 31 on Wednesday (16 October) (Kate Green/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Henry is the daughter of prominent American personal injury lawyer and multi-millionaire Thomas J Henry.

As some One Direction fans accused the model of being “obsessed” with Payne, she shared her side of the story in a lengthy eight-minute video on TikTok on 6 October.

“Ever since we broke up he messages me, will blow up my phone, not only from his phone, it’s always from different phone numbers too, so I never know where it’s gonna come from,” she said.

“He’ll create new iCloud accounts to message me - it’s always a new damn iCloud account. Every time I see one pop up on my phone I’m like, ‘here we f***ing go again’.

“Also, he will email me... not only me, but he’ll blow up my mom’s phone. Is this normal behaviour to you?”

Henry accused Payne of “weaponising” his fans against her as she detailed the backlash she received from his supporters.

Earlier this week, the influencer told The Internet is Dead podcast, that she felt the singer used threats of suicide as a “manipulation tactic”.

“He would always message me ever since we broke up [saying], ‘Oh, I’m not well,’” she claimed. “He would always play with death and be like, ‘Well, I’m going to die. I’m not doing well.’”