Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of the late One Direction star Liam Payne, has spoken out for the first time following his tragic death in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His cause of death was later confirmed to be the result of multiple injuries after falling from a hotel balcony in October 2024.
A report later found Liam had alcohol and cocaine in his system, along with anti-depressants. Three people have been charged with manslaughter in relation to Liam's sad passing and two others may face drug-related charges.
Now, Kate has shared that she regrets leaving Liam in Argentina and flying home to Florida ahead of him, saying she only did so to care for their rescue dog, Nala (and not because there had been a falling out between them). While it was known that Liam had struggled with his mental health and substance abuse issues over the years, Kate said that he seemed in a good place mentally when she left him at the hotel.
"We were in such a great place, just full of love; he was so happy and positive. And I just can't even believe the way things truly ended," she said while reflecting back.
"Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end," Kate told The Sun. "Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina."
She described the "tragic accident" as something she never could have imagined happening and said, "No, I never did think [he might die young]. But, you know, we did have our own separate lives — this wasn't the first time we have travelled separately."
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On dealing with the grief that followed, Kate, who had been in a relationship with Liam (who she describes as "humble" and "charming") since 2022, admitted that she's still struggling to process everything that has happened.
"It still doesn’t feel fully real for me that he's not here. I’m trying to be the best I can be, but I feel like my life has changed so much," she told the newspaper. "I think about Liam every second of every day."
Heartbreakingly, Kate says she still calls Liam's phone so she can hear him speaking via his voicemail message and said her last message to him was her saying "I can't wait for you to get home and see the house" after she'd decorated their shared home for Halloween.
After Liam's death, Kate shared a statement on social media expressing her sorrow and asking for privacy: "Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you'll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
