In Liam Payne’s first major appearance since calling it quits with Maya Henry, the ex-One Direction star wrapped his arms around the ‘other woman’ at the heart of the recent drama, Aliana Mawla.
Shortly after Liam Payne confirmed that he and Maya Henry called off their engagement, Liam, 28, was spotted walking arm-in-arm with Aliana Mawla at Heathrow Airport. The One Direction alum and Aliana arrived on Tuesday (May 24) after a flight from Los Angeles. In pictures seen here, Aliana wraps her arms around Liam as they walk through the terminal. The Instagram model – who boasts more than 300k followers – wore a white crop top that showed off her stomach.
Aliana paired the top with matching sweatpants and an off-white sweater she slung around her waist. Liam also dressed casually for the trip. The “For You” singer opted for a simple black t-shirt and a pair of clay-colored track pants. He sported some white sneakers and a pair of reflective sunglasses as he walked through the airport.
The couple reportedly “struggled to keep their hands off each other” as they waited for their luggage, with Liam “throwing a protective arm” around his girlfriend as they mingled with other travelers. The two were then greeted by a friend, who gave Aliana a welcoming hug before escorting the two to a waiting car in a nearby garage.
Liam and Aliana’s Heathrow appearance comes on the heels of the world learning of Liam and Maya’s split through the most awkward of ways. After a Liam fan page posted a picture of the singer and a woman, Maya chimed in the comments section. “I love all of the fans so much, but please stop sending me these pictures of my fiancé wrapped around another woman. This is not me, and it’s hard enough knowing this has happened without seeing it. Enough now.”
After this comment from Maya caused a minor stir online, Liam’s rep confirmed to PEOPLE that the two had ended their engagement and had broken up over a month ago.
Liam and Henry, a model, were first linked together in 2018. They confirmed their romance a year later, and in August 2020, he got down on one knee. Then, in August 2021, Liam revealed that they had split.
“I’ve just not been very good at relationships,” Liam admitted on an episode of The Diary of a CEO. “I know what my pattern is with relationships at this point. I’m just not very good at them. I need to work on myself first before I put myself onto somebody else. I just wasn’t giving a very good version of me, and I didn’t appreciate or like me. I feel better out of it.”
However, Liam and Maya reunited in October 2021 to give their love a second chance. In March 2022, Liam told PEOPLE that Maya was “still my fiancée” and that they were “still here together, and we’re very, very happy at the moment. Probably the happiest we’ve been.”
