Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, appeared on a podcast days before his death claiming they had chilling conversations about him dying.
The influencer dated Payne from 2018 to 2022, and spoke on Monday’s episode of “The Internet Is Dead” podcast. She claimed Payne was emotionally abusive in their relationship and said the One Direction singer called and messaged her relentlessly, often telling her he was going to die. She described his alleged messages as a “manipulation tactic” to make her feel bad for their breakup. News of Payne’s sudden death made the headlines Wednesday, just two days later.
Maya Henry interview
tw: abuse and death
maya talks about the manipulation tactics liam payne would use including messaging her and her mom saying he was going to die if she didn’t help him. now he’s gone and people are blaming her. this is crazy pic.twitter.com/AYE2sECfbi
— DIPU CHAUDHARY (@lovesayarindian) October 17, 2024
Henry claimed Payne predicted his death through a series of troubling exchanges with her.
“He would always message me ever since we broke up,” she said. “Like ‘oh, I’m not well.’”
“He would always play with death and be like, ‘Well, I’m gonna die. I’m not doing well,’” Henry claimed on Monday’s podcast.
“There was one time I tried to get him help and then he was not taking it,” she added.
“He would text my mom, ‘I’m not doing well, have Maya contact me,’ because I wouldn’t respond,” she said.
Henry described Payne’s alleged references to his own death by saying, “it’s just always the same cycle.”
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: (L-R) Liam Payne and Maya Henry attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 30th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 27, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation)
Henry said she announced the release of her book “Looking Forward” in February, noting it was inspired by journal entries she wrote during her relationship with Payne. She claimed this prompted Payne to call her mom and he said, “I’m not going to be around much longer.”
“And I don’t play with death. If you say this, I’m going to try and help you no matter what you’ve done. And I think he took advantage of my family’s kindness.”
She went on to say she attempted to get Payne to seek help, but he refused to attend rehab. She claimed he had “gotten so much worse” lately, but said she wasn’t able to divulge details due to a cease-and-desist letter she sent to Payne to put an end to their alleged exchanges.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: (L-R) Liam Payne and Maya Henry attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 30th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 27, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation )
“He would always just say, ‘I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done. I can’t live with myself,’ but then is continuing to try and traumatize me,” Henry claimed.
“I know the lifestyle he lives, and there is a day where something bad is going to happen, so I would always be like, ‘OK, he’s saying these things, I have to help him because if I don’t, I will be able to live with myself if something does happen to him,” she said. (RELATED: Celebrities React To Liam Payne’s Sudden Death)
Payne fell from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. It’s currently unclear if the fall was intentional, or accidental. The circumstances surrounding his death are currently under investigation.
