Insider Exposes Liam Payne For Alleged Physical Abuse Against Maya Henry

A shocking new report released Tuesday alleges that Liam Payne engaged in violent and abusive behavior toward his ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, during their on-again, off-again relationship.

The claims include pushing Maya Henry down a flight of stairs and chasing her with an axe, painting a disturbing picture of her turbulent romance with Liam Payne.

Henry addressed her complicated history with the former One Direction star, admitting she once deeply loved him but struggled with the reality of his addiction and erratic behavior.

"Initially, it was the drug use and addictions that tore us apart," she told the outlet. "On drugs, he became someone unrecognizable, so different from his sober self. I kept hoping each incident would be a wake-up call for him to get help, but it never was. I tried to be there for him. I loved him so much that I convinced myself I could fix things."

"Anyone who has been with an addict understands how difficult that is. While I loved him deeply, he did things that hurt me in ways I'll never fully understand, and he continued to hurt me years after we broke up," Henry said.

According to Rolling Stone, she acknowledged that she "ignored red flags" and put herself in harmful situations, but ultimately stated, "I do not fault him for his struggles."

"I stood by him in his darkest moments, through the chaos, through the pain, through things that broke me in ways I can't explain. And yet, when it was all over, I was left with nothing but emptiness," Henry continued. "The love I gave, the sacrifices I made. They weren't enough because they never could be. I wasn't just heartbroken; I felt defrauded."

Two years after their final split, Henry made headlines when she took legal action against Payne, filing a cease-and-desist letter accusing him of harassment.

She claimed that Payne had been sending unsolicited and disturbing images and videos to her and her loved ones.

By that time, Payne had moved on and was in a new relationship with Kate Cassidy, whom he was with in Argentina in the days leading up to his tragic death in October 2024.

In October, Henry opened up about her alleged abusive relationship with Payne on "The Internet Is Dead" podcast. During the hour-long episode, she recounted the fear, manipulation, and control she experienced, stating that these feelings lingered even after their engagement ended.

Henry also revealed that she faced intense pressure before the release of her fictionalized book, "Looking Forward," a novel seemingly inspired by her time with Payne.

"Obviously, the book is fiction," Henry told PEOPLE Magazine, but it's "definitely inspired by true events... [The main character] Mallory is very similar to me, and that's why it was very easy for me to write her character and put the emotion in there. I'm just grateful that I have this opportunity and platform to really help be a voice for women."

According to Henry, the singer's friends reached out, urging her not to publish the book because Payne was "not doing well." She recalled one individual telling her, "If something happens to him, you're not only going to blame yourself, but the whole world is going to blame you."

In the book, Oliver undergoes a gradual and painful transformation from a clean-cut, wholesome pop star to an unpredictable addict, struggling to keep his career afloat while frequently hurling verbal insults at his girlfriend-turned-fiancée-turned-caretaker, Mallory.

Similarly, Payne has been candid about his own struggles with substance abuse, revealing in July 2023 that he had reached six months of sobriety after spending 100 days in a Louisiana rehab facility.

"I definitely chose to forgive a lot of things," she said, referring to her own relationship. "When you love someone so much, you have those rose-colored glasses. You're in denial, so you think those things will stop, and they don't, and that just becomes an issue among other issues."

Domestic abuse advocates have weighed in on Henry's claims, including Rachel Craig, an advocate at JBWS' Safe House, who highlighted how emotional manipulation can be used as a powerful tool of control.

"When a victim feels like their actions are dependent on keeping someone else alive, then their entire being has to exist around that person," she said. "It is a very powerful method of control."

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788 for confidential support 24/7.