Maya Henry, the ex-fiancée of late One Direction star Liam Payne, has opened up about the “unsafe and harmful” experiences she endured during their relationship. In a candid interview with Rolling Stone, Henry, 25, shared her struggles with Payne’s addiction and the emotional toll it took on her, while also addressing reports that he pressured her into having an abortion.
Payne, who tragically passed away in October 2024 after a fall in Buenos Aires, had a tumultuous relationship with Henry. The couple got engaged in 2020 but called it quits in 2022 after years of turmoil.
“I loved him deeply, but he did things that hurt me in ways I’ll never fully understand,” Henry revealed. She described Payne as “someone unrecognizable” when under the influence of drugs, noting that his addiction drove a wedge between them.
Henry admitted she stayed in the relationship, hoping her love could save him. “I convinced myself I could fix things, that he would change,” she said. “But I ended up in situations that were unsafe and harmful. I ignored every red flag because I wanted to help him.”
The model also hinted at the emotional pain of her abortion, which she previously discussed in her novel, Looking Forward. While she didn’t directly blame Payne, sources claim he pressured her into the decision. “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have done it,” Henry said in a May interview with People. “But I felt I had no choice if I wanted to save the relationship.”
Henry’s statement also touched on the aftermath of Payne’s actions, including the non-consensual sharing of private images. “I’m left grieving someone I cared deeply about, despite the pain they caused me,” she shared.
Henry’s revelations shed light on the complexities of loving someone battling addiction and the painful decisions she faced. “In the end, I had to choose myself,” she concluded. “Staying in his world meant losing myself.”
