London, UK - Liam Payne was "sectioned" after suffering an overdose in the months before his death in October last year, a close friend of the late singer has claimed.

One Direction star Payne died aged 31 on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Payne’s close friend Roger Nores said Payne’s father, Geoff, had the singer sectioned following a serious drug overdose in May.

"Originally, they tried to have him sectioned for 90 days," he told the paper.

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"That ended up getting cut down to 30 days. But Liam talked his way out after just three."

Following his release, Nores said he set Payne up with a team of medical professionals in a bid to help fight his addiction struggles.

"He knew he needed help," Nores said. "He did four months sober. Liam then began to go to the gym every day. He was really looking after himself."

"And it wasn’t easy. He required 24-hour attention. Anyone who’s looked after an addict knows that it isn’t straightforward."

"It was draining, but I wanted to do it – that’s what friends are for. After four months, I truly believed he had turned a corner."

The British musician died from "polytrauma," meaning multiple traumatic injuries.

Five people have been charged in Argentina in connection with the death, three with manslaughter and two with supplying cocaine.

One of them is Nores, who was accused of manslaughter, with Argentinian prosecutors claiming he "abandoned" the singer and failed in his duty of care responsibilities.

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Nores named Geoff Payne in a defamation lawsuit filed in the US last month, alleging that Payne’s father made sworn declarations to Argentinian officials that were "false, contained material omissions, and many parts were not based on personal knowledge."

The contested statements include allegations that Payne was in the care of Nores and Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy "due to his addictions," according to the lawsuit.

However, the court documents claim Nores’ relationship with the late singer was misrepresented, noting the pair had a "dear mutual friendship" but insisted he "never had a legal duty of care" towards him.

Nores told the Mail: "We were friends and that was all I wanted to be."

After his band went on hiatus Payne launched a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo, as well as the track For You with Rita Ora.