Liam Payne gave his former fiancée Maya Henry an ultimatum to abort their baby, it has been claimed. The former One Direction singer tragically died at the age of 31 last October after fatally falling from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the time, Liam was in a two-year relationship with his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy. Before Kate, he was engaged to influencer-turned-author Maya, though the couple had a rocky romance between 2018 and 2022.
Now, Maya has spoken out for the first time since his death in a bombshell interview and explained how she felt torn after his tragic passing, because while she "loved him deeply", she claims he "did things to hurt me in ways I'll never fully understand". In the jaw-dropping article, a source claims Liam pressured Maya into terminating her pregnancy by presenting her with an ultimatum. In a lengthy written statement to Rolling Stone, Maya touched on Liam's dark personal struggles, including his drug use which was what "tore them apart". But she said she doesn't "fault him for his struggles". Maya claims Liam shared non-consensual images of her during their engagement and now she is "faced with the complexity of grieving for someone I cared so deeply about despite the pain they have caused me".
Also in the article, a source claimed Liam pressured Maya into aborting her baby. They told the magazine: "Liam sent Maya a long message saying it's either get an abortion and stay with him, or raise the kid alone and he will not acknowledge either of them. This was a surprise to Maya, because Liam wanted to have a family, and they were trying for a kid.". Maya and Liam were first linked in August 2018, following his split from Girls Aloud singer Cheryl. In September 2019, they confirmed their romance and a year later, Maya was spotted wearing a large diamond ring. Liam shared how they were "just really happy" during an appearance on Good Morning America. But in June 2021, Liam announced their split. They got back together and then officially broke up in May 2022.
Following their separation, Maya wrote a fictionalised account of her time with Liam in her novel, Looking Forward. The book's fictional main character, Mallory, falls in love with a former boy band member, Oliver, but their whirlwind romance turns dark. Mallory falls pregnant, but Oliver tells her that he will walk away from the relationship if she chooses to keep the baby. Mallory has an abortion but suffers severe complications and haemorrhage, an experience Maya says she relates to.
In an interview with People in May 2024, Maya opened up about her personal experience. Maya said: "What I went through in real life is very similar to what Mallory went through in the book. I definitely did have some complications, and I did have to go to the hospital alone. It was very lonely, having these men tell you: 'Oh, it's going to feel like a heavy period, it's not going to be that painful, it's going to be easy'. But I'm like, you've never even gone through anything like [that], so how would you know to tell me?".
Maya didn't specify when she got the abortion, and it remains unclear whether she was referring to her alleged experience with Liam. She said that while she didn't necessarily want to get an abortion at the time, it was the right decision for the sake of the relationship she was in. She concluded: "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have done it. But then also, if I were to have made a different decision, then I would've lost the person that I loved.".
