Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has defended her funeral outfit as she addressed claims she was only with the One Direction star for fame and money. The 25-year-old recently spoke for the first time since the One Direction star tragically died in October 2024. Aged 31, Liam fell from the balcony of his third floor hotel room in Argentina, where he and Cassidy had been holidaying. He died after suffering multiple traumas leading to an "internal and external haemorrhage".
In a new interview, Kate has opened up about the negative comments she received following his passing, revealing that she even received death threats. “Obviously after his death there was a lot of speculation, and things that were said about me, and I was getting called certain labels.”. She added: “I never (asked him for money). Yeah, it’s upsetting but it’s just about having thick skin and I’m never going to let anybody tell me how my relationship was with Liam. The only two people that really know how strong a relationship was are me and Liam.”.
Kate, who described her relationship as “authentic” and “real”, also revealed that she was criticised by some on the day of Liam’s funeral. Among the comments on social media, some suggested she was wearing too much make-up while others claimed she wanted “attention”. Speaking to The Sun, Kate defended her funeral outfit and explained the emotional reason behind her appearance. “I genuinely wanted to just look beautiful for my boyfriend one last time; that’s how he would want to see me, and that’s how I would want him to see to remember me by,” she explained.
Since Liam's death, Kate has returned to her home in America, having vacated the properties she once shared with the musician in London and Florida. But now, she's opened up about their romance, having recently revealed why she decided to leave Liam in Argentina and returned to their Florida mansion. Earlier this week, she said how she had "responsibilities" and had to get home to look after their dog, Nala. However, she says his death was a "tragic accident" and she had no idea that Liam would have died days after she went home. On October 16, Kate was sat at home in their Florida mansion, scrolling on TikTok when the news of Liam's death emerged.
But she feels "blessed" that a friend of Payne's had phoned her to tell her, rather than seeing it on social media like many of his friends in the UK had done. In a state of disbelief, Kate instantly picked up her phone and attempted to call Liam, initially believing that the news was fake. In the days leading up to his death and after Kate returned home, Liam, who had been open about his struggles in the past, relapsed and turned to drugs and alcohol. Kate had been supporting him through his addiction, admitting that she "loved his soul". But she says he was in a "good headspace" during their time in South America and had even attended a sold-out Niall Horan concert, leaving fans ecstatic as the pair reunited.
Aged just 10, Kate fell in love with the Wolverhampton-born mega star and had posters of One Direction splashed across her childhood bedroom, admitting he was her "childhood crush." She described the late musician as one of the greatest people she'd ever met and didn't care about his fame or staggering fortune. The pair met at a bar in South Carolina in September 2022, with Liam asking for her number then asking her out. For Liam, the attraction was immediate, and he asked for her number straight away. However, their relationship almost didn't take off. Kate gave Liam her phone number and forgot to add +1 to her area code, due to having an American number.
The pair instantly hit it off and Liam delayed his flight back to London following their first date, a game of bowling – with them checking into a hotel for 48 hours. "We were lying in bed watching a movie, and he said 'Would you like to be my girlfriend and would you want to move in with me? Like, I really love you,'" she revealed. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs onTikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.
