I’ll drop £1.8m suit against Liam Payne’s dad on one...

LIAM Payne’s close pal Roger Nores breathed a huge sigh of relief this week after having his manslaughter charge over the singer’s death dropped. But in another unedifying twist in the tragedy, the US-Argentine businessman has vowed to continue his £8.1 million defamation lawsuit against Liam’s grieving dad Geoff.

Image Credit: The Sun [Liam Payne at an awards ceremony.]

He even says he does not feel bad for doing so – and that he will only drop the claim once he gets an apology. Roger, 35, filed the claim in the US in January suing Geoff for defamation – claiming he made “false” statements to investigators following Liam’s death in Argentina on October 16 last year.

Image Credit: The Sun [Two people playing ping pong.]

Geoff is said to have told authorities that Roger was part of a “care group” for Liam – who “could not be left alone in the vulnerable position in which he was”. Roger had seen One Direction star Liam, 31, three times on the day he fell 45ft from his third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Image Credit: The Sun [Headshot of a man in a dark blue blazer.]

He left Liam at the hotel around 40 minutes before he fell – and in December he was charged with manslaughter, accused of being negligent by leaving his friend. But on Wednesday, Roger and two others – the hotel’s chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and its security boss Gilda Martin – had their raps dropped following an appeal.

Image Credit: The Sun [Liam Payne at the Serpentine Galleries Summer Party.]

Now Roger is insistent on pursuing his case against Geoff - despite the pain he is suffering after losing his son. Asked if he feels bad about doing so, he told The Sun: “So the answer is: no, definitely not. I don’t feel bad. “Geoff is a good person, right, and he was going through a lot… and it’s a human reaction and is understandable.

Image Credit: The Sun [A man in a suit listens during a financial summit.]

“Imagine losing a child? Whatever I went through, losing a friend, he probably went through something that is like a million times worse. “So you can never judge a person. “But obviously, one thing is because you are angry with what happened and you want to blame someone, because deep down you blame yourself.

Image Credit: The Sun [Group photo of four people wearing blue jackets.]

“That’s a reality that happens to all of us. “We all – all the people that were around Liam – we blame ourselves. “I blame myself. I find myself walking down the street and going, ‘I never told him this… maybe if I had a conversation, he would’ve changed or this would’ve helped him’.

“So we all feel guilty, and we all blame ourselves. “But obviously what happened to Geoff is, he came here after his son had passed away… he was talking to a prosecutor then he went like this: ‘Oh, Roger’s responsibility, he was supposed to be his caretaker’.

“So the lawsuit’s here until they apologise and then I think, hopefully, we can all put this behind us and continue leading our lives and say goodbye to Liam without fighting with each other.”. Roger said he “100 per cent” will not drop the case until he gets a sorry, adding: “I’m sure I’ll get one.”.

Roger and Liam became pals in 2020 after meeting at a party hosted by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful in London. They hit it off, spending a lot of time together in the US. Roger was reported to have been Liam’s manager at one point – something he has always denied.

In his final days, Liam went to see his old One Direction bandmate Niall Horan in concert in Argentina along with Roger. SHOCKED fans, former co-workers, loved ones and friends flooded social media with sad tributes to Liam Payne after news of his death emerged.

Harry Styles’ mum Anne was among the first from One Direction's camp to share her reaction, posting a photo of Liam and writing 'Just a boy...' alongside a broken heart emoji. Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden shared an image of the pair together with the words: "Such an awful tragedy.

"Sending love to his family and all those who loved him.". X Factor star Olly Murs told fans he was "devastated" and "lost for words". He wrote on social media: “Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his Family and of course his son Bear losing a dad x".

Liam Gallagher said he was "very sad" and told his followers on X: "Life is precious Kids, you only get to do it once, go easy.". Former X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary has also expressed his shock and spoke on This Morning. He said: “I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.

“He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”. BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball reacted to the "devastating news" on her show and told fans she hugged her own son Woody tight this morning. JLS band member Marvin Humes reflected on his memories with the singer, sharing: "I first met Liam in 2008 with the JLS boys whilst auditioning for X Factor..he was 14 years old..