Inside Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy’s two-year whirlwind relationship before his death

Two days before Liam Payne’s death his girlfriend of two years Kate Cassidy boarded a flight home after spending a fortnight with him in Argentina.

Taking to social media as she left the South American country the influencer, 25 – not knowing that she would never see Payne again – explained her decision to go home back to the US.

‘I was so ready to leave. Honestly, love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. And we were supposed to be there for, like, five days. It turned into two weeks and I was just like “I need to go home,”‘ she told the camera.

Two days later, Payne died at the age of 31 after falling from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony.

The heartbroken Kate appears on Lorraine this morning for her first TV interview since the One Direction star’s death on October 16, 2024.

Here is everything we know about Kate and Payne’s relationship, which was heading for marriage before Payne’s heartbreaking death.

When and how did Kate Cassidy and Liam Payne meet?

Payne and Kate met in a bar called Ritual, where she was working at the time as a waitress, in South Carolina in 2022. He was her ‘childhood crush’ and Kate even had his poster on her wall growing up.

‘I have loved him since I was ten,’ she said in an interview with The Sun. ‘I think we were meant to meet.’

Kate Cassidy and Liam Payne’s plan to marry

Taking to social media a week after Payne’s death, Kate spoke out about her heartbreak and revealed to fans they had planned on getting married.

‘I don’t even know where to begin. My heart is shattered in ways I can’t put into words,’ she said.

‘I wish you could see the huge impact you’ve had on the world, even as it feels so dark right now. You brought so much happiness and positivity to everyone – millions of fans, your family, friends, and especially me. You are so incredibly loved.

‘You are – because I can’t say were – my best friend, the love of my life, and everyone you touched felt just as special as I did. Your energy was contagious, lighting up every room you walked into.

‘None of this feels real, and I can’t wrap my head around this new reality of not having you here. I’m struggling to figure out how to live in a world without you by my side. Together, we got to be kids again, always finding joy in the smallest things.

‘Liam you had the kindest soul and the most fun-loving spirit. It feels like I’ve lost the best part of myself. I can’t imagine a day without your laughter and love. You brought so much light into my life.’

Kate then revealed Liam’s plans to propose to her within the next year, a wish he wrote down just a few weeks before his death.

‘A few weeks ago we sat outside on a beautiful evening manifesting our life together,’ she said.

‘I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said, “Me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged & together forever.”‘

Inside Kate and Liam’s two-year relationship as told on TikTok

As an influencer with 1.4million followers, Kate often posted videos with Payne on her TikTok. Her feed was full of the pair enjoying acting out trends together, and generally looking like they were having fun.

After her interview with The Sun – the first since Payne’s death – Kate took to the platform with tears in her eyes, thanking fans for their support. She reflected how TikTok used to be a place she went to for fun with Payne, to post their ‘silly little dances’.

In a ‘couple’s questions’ trend on the app, when asked who is the most romantic, both Kate and Payne pointed at him, as they did on answering the question of who said ‘I love you’ first.

Kate summed up their relationship in an emotional montage a few months after Payne’s death, in which they can be seen hugging, laughing, and exploring together.

What has Kate Cassidy said about Liam Payne’s death?

‘I feel really alone but I know Liam wouldn’t want me to. He would want me to do what makes me happy and to be as strong as I can be like, no matter what people say. He would tell me: “Please just take care of yourself, because I can’t take care of you anymore”,’ Kate told The Sun in her first interview following Payne’s death.

She also spoke about how much the late star ‘loved One Direction,’ adding: ‘It was such a huge part of his life and career.’

‘Who didn’t love them? I think everybody had hopes for a reunion at some point.

‘Liam would have been more than happy in the future to do that. He was so proud of the boys. He loved them so much he looked at them as brothers.’

Kate has also opened up in a number of social media posts about Payne since his death.

A few days after his death, Kate wrote on social media that Payne is her ‘angel’.

‘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,’ she said.

A few weeks ago Kate posted a picture of her in a place she’d previously visited with Payne –  the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

‘I thought this place would feel empty without you, but instead, it’s filled with the warmth of this moment we shared,’ she captioned the post, sharing an image of them together and her alone.

On Valentine’s Day – her first without Payne – Kate revealed their last one was spent under the Northern Lights.

Payne previously wrote about Kate on Instagram: ‘Gotta say you could tell me anything and I couldn’t be turned. I’ve never felt a love like I do for Katelyn. We make each other better people.’

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