Liam Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, has taken part in her first interview since the One Direction star's tragic passing.
Payne tragically passed away in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16 October 2024.
The One Direction star from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel after reports of "an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol," from hotel staff.
At a December 17 hearing at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court, Senior Coroner Crispin Butler noted that establishing the full circumstances of Payne’s death “may take some time” due to ongoing legal proceedings in Argentina.
However, a UK inquest has officially attributed his cause of death to "polytrauma," according to The Mirror US.
Two days before the incident, Payne's girlfriend, 25-year-old Kate Cassidy, had returned home to Miami, Florida - a decision that led to speculation that the couple had broken up after two years together.
Now, in an interview with The Sun, Cassidy has addressed the rumors, sharing her reasons for leaving Argentina and the devastating moment she learned of Payne’s passing.
Cassidy described her relationship with Payne as a "fairytale romance" and said she had supported him “through thick and thin” as they planned for a future together.
“Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end. Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina,” she said.
She explained that their original plan was to stay in Argentina for about a week, but they had extended their trip.
“After two weeks, I had a responsibility, we had a responsibility, we had our dog,” Cassidy added.
Describing Payne as her “charming soulmate,” she admitted: “I never thought this would’ve happened.”
Cassidy recalled the harrowing moment she found out about Payne’s death while scrolling through TikTok at home with their dog, Nala.
“I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was just a rumour. Or something that somebody made up just to get views. Then instantly I just had a bad feeling in my gut. I was like, ‘Why would somebody make this up? Is this true?’” she said.
“And I feel like I just completely blacked out. When I officially found the news out to be true, I felt numb. I tried to call him. I called pretty much everybody.”
She heartbreakingly added that their dog thought she was “trying to play” as she paced around the house in shock, unable to sleep that night.
Cassidy said she still struggles to come to terms with Payne’s absence, admitting that it “still doesn’t feel fully real.”
“That he won’t be there with me to navigate through this life, that I’ll have to deal with this without him by my side... it’s really hard,” she said.
“You don’t think about the worst possible thing that can happen.”