Kaylah Walton
In a dramatic turn of events, Braian Nahuel Paiz, a 24-year-old waiter from Argentina, has publicly addressed the allegations suggesting he provided drugs to former One Direction member Liam Payne in the lead-up to his tragic death. Paiz, who met Payne at an upscale restaurant in Buenos Aires, claims that although they shared a close relationship involving drug use, he “never supplied Liam with drugs or accepted any payment.”
A pivotal night
Paiz describes their meeting as mere chance, recalling that Liam approached him while dining with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and friends. “We swapped contact information, and he later reached out,” Paiz noted, emphasizing that their friendship had nothing to do with drugs.
He shared that their next meeting occurred on October 2, when Payne invited him to his hotel room at the Hyatt in Palermo. “Liam was already under the influence when we met,” Paiz explained, stressing that he never provided Payne with drugs but confesses that they enjoyed whiskey together that evening.
“An intimate night”
On October 13, shortly before Payne’s tragic incident, Paiz was with the singer again at the CasaSur hotel in Palermo for a night together. “We did use drugs, but there was no hostility,” he stated. “He was kind and checked in on me.”
While Paiz’s claims are complicated by messages from Payne that included offers of money, he maintains, “I never accepted money. He wanted to give me some clothes as a memento, but I intentionally left them behind.”
Friends defend Liam
This situation is made more complex with statements from Rogelio “Roger” Nores, a close friend of Payne, who has responded to the accusations of neglect. Nores, a longtime friend, asserted, “I did not abandon Liam. I visited his hotel three times that day.” He expressed deep sorrow over Payne’s passing and stated that he was with Liam shortly before the tragic event.
Authorities in Argentina are also looking into Paiz along with a hotel employee named Ezequiel David Pereyra, while they search for Payne’s missing Rolex watch, which was reportedly last seen on him at the time of his death. Investigators have confirmed that the watch could not be found in either the musician’s room or the suspects’ homes, adding layers to this already heartbreaking narrative.
The inquiry is ongoing as fans and family seek clarity following Payne’s unexpected death, while those involved wish to clear their names amid intense scrutiny and emotional distress.
