Liam Payne Gave Ex Maya Henry an Ultimatum to Get an Abortion After She Discovered She Was Pregnant: Report

Mar. 15, 2025

Liam Payne, Maya Henry.Photo:David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty; Dave Benett/Getty

Liam Payne, Maya Henry

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty; Dave Benett/Getty

“This was a surprise to Maya, because Liam wanted to have a family, and they were trying for a kid,” they add.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Liam Payne and Maya Henry in 2019.David M. Benett/Getty

Liam Payne and Maya Henry attend the Hugo X Liam Payne Bodywear Campaign party at Flannels on December 4, 2019

David M. Benett/Getty

Henry and Payne, whodied in October after falling from the balconyof his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, first confirmed their relationship in 2019 and were engaged in August 2020. After breaking up the next year, they got back together beforeending things for goodin April 2022.

In one key scene in the novel, the protagonist Mallory goes through a painful abortion after her partner tells her that he’ll leave her if she decides to keep the pregnancy.

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have done it,” Henry said of her abortion. “But then also, if I were to have made a different decision, then I would’ve lost the person that I loved. There were definitely difficult conversations about it. But looking back now, things happen for a reason.”

Liam Payne and Maya Henry in 2022.Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Liam Payne and Maya Henry attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 30th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 27, 2022

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Henry said she suffered complications during her abortion, and ultimately had to take herself to the hospital.

“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 [this], so how would you know to tell me?” she said.

“That’s why I wanted to include it in the book, because I’ve seen so many people online talk about taking the abortion pill and it was the most painful thing for them. It’s just mind boggling to me that you could tell a woman how they’re going to feel.”

Henry said that she was able to use her platform to shed light on other young women who might still be in relationships that mirrored her former one.

“You never know what goes on behind closed doors,” she said. “It’s definitely nerve-wracking and scary, but we need to have difficult conversations about these topics to help women not feel alone and to speak up about things. That’s ultimately why I wanted to put this book out there.”

source: people.com