Four months prior, the world grieved the sudden passing of Liam Payne, who died tragically in Argentina while alone after his girlfriend Kate Cassidy returned home early.
The ex-One Direction star passed away on October 16 at 31 years old after a fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires. He had been in the city to support his former bandmate Niall Horan, who performed there on October 2.
Payne was initially in Argentina with Cassidy, but she left for the US two days before his death. After the incident, police confirmed they responded to the hotel for reports of an ‘aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol’.
In a heartfelt interview, his 25-year-old partner disclosed why she left him in Argentina.
“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,” Cassidy expressed to The Sun.
“I had a responsibility, we had a responsibility. We had our dog and obviously I never, ever thought this event would occur.
“It was a tragic accident and no, I never did think [he would die young]. But, you know, we did have our own separate lives — this wasn’t the first time we have travelled separately.
“I just never thought this would have happened, that it would turn out the way it did.”
She elaborated on how the experience still ‘doesn’t feel fully real’ and how Payne occupies her thoughts ‘every second of every day’.
Cassidy talked about the singer as her soulmate, highlighting his ‘humble’ and ‘charming’ nature. She noted that despite the fame, he remained one of the most down-to-earth individuals ‘you could ever hope to come across’.
Recollecting the moment she learned about her beloved boyfriend’s passing, she recounted to the UK-based outlet: “I feel blessed I didn’t find out over social media because I just couldn’t even imagine that. I was in our home with our dog, scrolling TikTok and one of Liam’s friends called me.
“That moment, it’s like blank; it’s blacked out in my head.
“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 went on: “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.
“Then I was in touch with his family, and my mum got the first flight out to be with me. I remember pacing around the house — poor Nala thought I was trying to play, she kept jumping up at me. I didn’t sleep at all that night.”
Cassidy also mentioned the last text message she sent to Payne after setting up Halloween decorations in their home. It said: “I can’t wait for you to get home and see the house.”
Reflecting on the last picture she has of him on her phone, which shows Payne horse riding with her the morning before her departure, she remarked on how ‘happy’ he appeared.