Liam Payne's funeral to be held in singer's hometown but one person 'is not welcome' at ceremony

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND: Liam Payne will be laid to rest this week in his hometown of Wolverhampton, but his family has decided not to "welcome" his close friend and manager Rogelio 'Roger' Nores in the ceremony.

Despite their close friendship, a source told Daily Mail that the businessman has "never been popular" with the former One Direction member's "wider circle."

They explained that it would be "strained" if Roger attended the ceremony because the Payne family wants it to proceed as smoothly as possible.

Liam Payne's manager Rogelio 'Roger' Nores is 'not welcome' at his funeral ceremony

The One Direction star will be laid to rest in his hometown of Wolverhampton this week. The Payne family took care to ensure that only those closest to him could attend the private service because of his fame and popularity.

The 31-year-old former member of One Direction died from head injuries he sustained after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel suite in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a month ago.

Payne and his close friend Roger Nores, who some have referred to as his manager, traveled to Argentina in September to renew Payne's visa to reside in the United States and to see his old bandmate Niall Horan perform.

However, Roger, 31—who visited Payne at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires three times—might not be allowed to pay tributes because investigations into his potential involvement in the star's death are still ongoing.

A source told The Sun: "There is a difference in the narrative, Roger would say he stepped back from working with Liam - others would say he was pushed."

"Many people didn't even know Liam and Roger had reconnected until his fateful trip to Argentina last month. Due to the ongoing investigation in Argentina, he's not welcome at this week's service," they added.

The insider revealed to The Sun that the singer's family conflicted over the guest list. "Liam's family want his funeral to go off without a hitch and right now opinions are strained when it comes to Roger," the source said.

They added, "It's true he and Liam had a bond but he's never been popular when it comes to Liam's wider circle."

Payne had visited Roger's house with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, in the days before his death. However, "Roger would not want to do anything to compound to the pain that Liam's family are going through right now," a different source said.

Liam Payne apparently possessed complex relationship with manager Rogelio 'Roger' Nores

According to the Daily Mail, Roger became famous in 2017 after his contributions to the energy sector were highlighted in Forbes' "Under 30" list. However, he has been linked to Liam Payne in recent years.

Payne and Roger's relationship, both personal and professional, was reported to be complicated and tense due to a previous fallout.

However, Payne and his girlfriend, Kate, spent a brief stay at Roger's house, suggesting that they patched things up before Payne's trip to Latin America.

Those close to both of them described their friendship as "intense," with Roger frequently serving as a stabilizing force in Payne's chaotic life.

Payne's tragic death on October 16, 2024, has raised questions about Roger. According to local media, Roger and two others were taken into custody in relation to Payne's death.

Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the "friend" who they claim is responsible for the singer's death by "abandoning a person followed by death."

Roger, however, has vehemently denied leaving the former One Direction member in the final hours of his life and denied that investigators broke into his home.

"I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened," Roger told the Mail.

He added: "There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen."

"I wasn't Liam's manager he was just my very dear friend. I'm really heart-broken with this tragedy, and I've been missing my friend every day," he said.