Kate Cassidy, Liam Payne's girlfriend, has spoken out for the first time following his death at the age of 31. Cassidy shared her heartbreak on Instagram following the death of Payne, who fell 45 feet from a hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday. In an emotional message to her followers, the 25-year-old said, "I have been at a complete loss," and "nothing feels real."
She went on to say that she will love her "angel" for the rest of her life, adding in the tribute "444," which is regarded as an angelic number in numerology. Cassidy left just two days before Payne fell to his death from the hotel's balcony.
Cassidy Shares Her Grief
"Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss," she posted on her Instagram Story Friday. "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," she continued. "Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam."
Cassidy, 25, had accompanied Payne to Buenos Aires, Argentina but flew back to Florida alone just two days before the singer suffered a fatal fall from his third-floor hotel balcony, instantly dying from "very serious injuries" and a fractured skull.
Just weeks earlier, the couple had attended a performance by his former One Direction bandmate, Niall Horan, on October 2.
"We're going to Argentina," Payne said in an Instagram Story. "One, because we want to. Two, because we want to. And three, because Niall Horan's playing down there and I think we might just go and say hello."
The late singer had said that he and Niall Horan had "things to square up," as they hadn't spoken in a while.
Abrupt End to Love Story
Payne and Cassidy, who had been staying at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, were in a relationship for two years. Cassidy revealed online that their time in Buenos Aires was extended beyond what they had initially planned, with a short trip turning into a two-week stay.
"I was so ready to leave, honestly, love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long," Cassidy revealed in a TikTok video. "We were supposed to be there for like, five days [then] it turned into two weeks and I was just like, 'I need to go home.'"
Cassidy explained that she left Payne in Argentina after buying a new travel pillow, as the late singer had been using her previous one.
The couple first made headlines in 2022 when they were seen together at a Halloween party in London, dressed as Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson.
They were later be spotted on romantic dates and at various red-carpet events, including the 2023 premiere of former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson's documentary.
Cassidy shared that she first met Payne at a bar in Charleston, South Carolina, where she was working as a waitress.
Payne was formerly engaged to model Maya Henry from 2020 to 2021 and has a 7-year-old son named Bear with British singer Cheryl Cole.
