Maya Henry's Novel 'Looking Forward': A Tale of Romance with a Pop Star

Is Maya Henry Novel Inspired by Liam Payne Relationship

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Maya Henry, Liam Payne’s former fiancée, has drawn from her own experiences to create her first novel, Looking Forward.

In an interview with People on May 15, the 23-year-old author revealed, “While the book is fictional, it is definitely influenced by real-life events.” She added, “The protagonist, Mallory, shares many similarities with me, which made it easy for me to infuse her character with genuine emotion. I am thankful for the opportunity and platform to advocate for women's voices through my writing.”

On Tuesday, May 14th, the book "Looking Forward" was released. It tells the story of Mallory Hunt, a girl who grew up in an upscale Tennessee neighborhood but felt like she didn't quite belong with the blonde debutantes. Instead, Mallory found friendship with her best friend Luna and bonded over their love for the boy band 5Forward as they dreamed of exciting futures beyond their small town.

Years later, Mallory's life takes a sudden turn when she enters the world of high-fashion modeling. She becomes a fashion It Girl and crosses paths with Oliver Smith, a former member of 5Forward.

Mallory is deeply in love with a former boy band member, despite the challenges of fame, attention, and personal struggles that they both face. Their love story unfolds from private moments of intimacy to a very public meltdown, teaching Mallory about the pain of transitioning from a childhood fantasy to real-life drama.

Henry has not openly acknowledged that Mallory and Oliver are inspired by her relationship with Payne, who is 30 years old.

Henry, the daughter of a high-profile attorney, grew up in Texas. In 2019, at the age of 18, she started dating One Direction singer Payne, who was 26 at the time. Payne, who has a 6-year-old son named Bear with his ex Cheryl Cole, proposed to Henry in 2020. After being together on-and-off, the couple finally split for good in 2022. Payne has now moved on with Kate Cassidy.

In a recent excerpt from Looking Forward, published by Cosmopolitan, it is revealed that Mallory, who is also the daughter of an attorney, flees London after breaking up with Oliver and ending their engagement. Just like Henry, Mallory had lived in the U.K. with her partner, Payne, who originally grew up in Wolverhampton but later moved to London during the peak of One Direction's fame.

When I first left London, I was in a pretty bad state. I am still young, with my whole life ahead of me. I tried to forget all the bad things that happened, especially the end with Oliver. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. I was traumatized and realized that forgetting wouldn't help anything.

At one point, Oliver gave Mallory an ultimatum during a physical fight, asking her to get an abortion or "lose him." The scene was loosely based on Henry's real life, but it is unclear if she actually had a D&C or if it happened during her relationship with Payne. The singer has not publicly addressed the speculation.

Henry shared that he drew inspiration from his real life when writing his book. He wanted to include a scene that reflected a relationship like the one he had experienced. In an interview with People, he mentioned that while not everyone dates a pop star, he believes that everyone can relate to dating someone like Oliver. Henry emphasized the importance of portraying women in a way that others can connect with and not feel isolated in their own experiences.

Just a reminder, the book Looking Forward is now available for purchase.

Editor's P/S:

Maya Henry's debut novel, "Looking Forward," draws heavily from her personal experiences, particularly her relationship with former fiancé Liam Payne. The book's protagonist,