Maya Henry, model and former fiancée of the late Liam Payne, is speaking out about her devastating abortion pill experience in her new book, Looking Forward.
Henry, a Texas native from Corpus Christi, first came to fame as a model before meeting former One Direction singer Liam Payne at age 18. The two quickly fell in love, and one year later they were engaged. But during that time, Henry discovered she was pregnant with their first child—news that should have felt exciting but quickly turned into heartbreak.
According to Rolling Stone, a source close to Henry revealed that Payne gave a devastating ultimatum: either she get an abortion and stay with him, or keep the baby and raise the child alone—without any acknowledgment from him.
“This was a surprise to Maya, because Liam wanted to have a family, and they were trying for a kid,” the source shared.
Feeling trapped and afraid of losing the man she loved, Henry ultimately went through with the abortion—an experience she later described as isolating, painful, and far from the “simple procedure” she was promised.
Henry’s book, Looking Forward, is a fiction novel “inspired by true events,” with many of the main character’s struggles mirroring her own. In an interview with PEOPLE, Henry admitted that the novel’s protagonist, Mallory, goes through an abortion under eerily similar circumstances.
“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have done it,” Henry admitted. “But then also, if I were to have made a different decision, then I would’ve lost the person that I loved.”
She recalled feeling dismissed and unheard at her abortion appointment, particularly by the male doctor who downplayed what she would experience.
“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,’” she recalled. “But I’m like, you’ve never even gone through anything like this, so how would you know to tell me?”
Henry’s abortion did not go smoothly. She suffered complications, forcing her to take herself to the hospital—despite Payne’s team urging her not to go, fearing she would be seen.
“What I went through in real life is very similar to what Mallory went through in the book,” she explained. “I definitely did have some complications, and I did have to go to the hospital alone.”
Her experience was a painful reality check about the dangers of the abortion pill, which is often falsely advertised as a simple and painless process.
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“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,” she emphasized.
Henry’s story sheds light on the lies spread by the medical industry and media, which often claim that abortion is quick and easy.
“It’s just mind-boggling to me that you could tell a woman how they’re going to feel,” she said.
Her heartbreaking testimony serves as a warning about the grim reality of abortion, the pressure many women face, and the deep emotional and physical trauma that can follow.
Women face an overall 81% higher risk of mental health problems after having an abortion compared to those who have not had one. Besides that, every abortion kills an innocent preborn baby and opens up the mother to physical pain and trauma. No woman should be lied to about what abortion truly entails, and taking the life of a baby should never be considered “easy.”
Women in unexpected pregnancies need support, resources, and community–not abortion.
Join us in prayer for Maya Henry as she continues to grieve her baby and ex-fiance. Pray for the Lord to lead her to salvation, repentance, and healing. If you or anyone you know is pregnant and needs help, click here.
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