Liam Payne's Death Friend Cleared of Criminal Charges

Published July 19, 2026 9:19 AM PDT

Liam Payne's close friend, Roger Nores, is officially in the clear in the investigation into the One Direction star's death ... but prosecutors aren't done with the case just yet.

Court records obtained by the NY Post show Argentine businessman Nores has now been fully cleared of all criminal charges tied to Payne's fatal October 2024 fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Prosecutors did not appeal the ruling, making the dismissal final.

As TMZ previously reported, Nores had been accused of abandoning Payne despite allegedly knowing the singer was struggling with addiction. Nores maintained he was simply Liam's friend -- not his caretaker -- and insisted he'd done everything he could to help him.

His attorney echoed that position in a statement to the New York Post, saying Nores "never had the duty of caring for Payne" and was "not his physician, nurse, or therapist."

Judges ultimately agreed, ruling Payne, 31, was responsible for his own decisions and finding Nores bore no criminal responsibility.

This isn't Nores' first legal victory in the case of Liam's death ... in February 2025 he was cleared of manslaughter charges -- after the court ruled there was nothing he could have done to save Liam.

The investigation isn't over, though. Two men accused of supplying Payne with drugs before his death remain under investigation. According to the New York Post, prosecutors are still reviewing evidence from electronic devices, and a possible plea deal is reportedly being discussed.

Payne died after falling from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16, 2024.