Liam Payne’s friend has spoken out against the late singer’s girlfriend for sharing an AI-generated tribute marking the first anniversary of his death.
Kate Cassidy, a 26-year-old influencer, had been dating Payne for two years before he tragically died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
An autopsy later revealed that the One Direction superstar passed away of “polytrauma,” meaning several injuries that involve multiple organs or systems, and a toxicology report confirmed he had traces of “alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants” in his system at the time of his death, per PEOPLE.
Digital Memory Sparks Backlash
As the first anniversary of Payne’s tragic death approaches, Cassidy shared the digitally created images - depicting her with a smiling Payne - on her Instagram stories. She described AI as “a curse,” but acknowledged that the pictures helped her feel close to the former One Direction star.
One of the images showed the 'Strip That Down' singer holding his girlfriend, who wore a pink floral dress. Though the post was met with support from many of Cassidy’s followers, the reaction among Payne’s inner circle was less supportive.
“Who does this?” a friend told The Mirror. “Of course, she is fully entitled to remember Liam, but this all feels a bit much. It’s surely triggering for those who loved Liam. There is some sympathy for Kate but creating a photo of them together so soon after his death is completely strange and also upsetting for so many who loved Liam.”
The source added to the Daily Mail: “His parents are normal people, a normal family who don’t play the fame game, they don’t have time for influencers or TikTokers. They saw what fame did to him, and they don’t want any part of it. They will grieve their son forever, privately.”
Cassidy Shares Emotional Goodbye
Cassidy has been publicly processing her grief in the lead-up to the anniversary, including an emotional video shared on October 12 in which she recalled her final goodbye with Payne before she left Argentina, just four days before his fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
“I was sitting on the couch, just expressing to him how much I’m going to miss him, how much I love him,” she said through tears. “He looked at me and he said, ‘[Kate], you’re going to miss your flight. You’re acting like this is the last time you’re ever going to see me again.’ And little did I know, it literally was the last time I got to see him.”
Cassidy said she was “so, so glad” they had that heartfelt farewell.
The couple’s relationship became public in December 2022, after they attended the British Fashion Awards together. Though rumors of a split emerged in May 2024, the couple were seen together again the following month, appearing close during a date in London.
Cassidy was among the mourners at Payne’s funeral in England in November 2024, alongside his former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan.
Shortly after his death, she posted a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram: “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.”