LIAM Payne’s devastated girlfriend has broken her silence about the One Direction star’s final days — and her regret at leaving him alone before his death. US influencer Kate Cassidy, 25, hit back at critics who accused her of abandoning Liam in Argentina where he fell to his death from a hotel balcony last October. She tells of their “fairytale romance”, how she supported him “through thick and thin” and shares touching photographs, including her last snap of Liam, 31.

In her first global interview since the tragedy, Kate reveals her final message to the One Direction superstar — the “charming soulmate” she planned to marry. Kate told The Sun: “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 debunked internet conspiracy theories that she’d returned to their Florida home after a break-up and rows — explaining she dashed back to look after their rescue dog, Nala.

Kate also believes his fall from a hotel balcony last October was an accident and not suicide. Recalling her trip home, she said: “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 might 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.”. Kate added: “It still doesn’t feel fully real for me that he’s not here. “I’m trying to be the best I can be, but I feel like my life has changed so much. I think about Liam every second of every day. “From the moment I met Liam, I genuinely believed we were soulmates; he was the most humble, charming, normal person you could ever hope to come across, and genuinely one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life.

“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. “You don’t think about the worst possible thing that can happen.”. Since Liam’s death, Kate has left their rented Florida mansion and moved back to New Jersey. She flew to London for our interview. Visibly nervous, she has been seeing a grief therapist in the last three and a half months.

You don’t think about worst thing that could happen. At times, Kate spoke about Liam in the present tense before correcting herself: “When we’re away from each other, we’re not really the clingiest when it comes to messaging . . . it wasn’t super-constant.”. She said she still calls Liam’s phone to hear his voicemail recording. Initially she fell asleep listening to his music, but can no longer play any of it. “Maybe one day, but not right now,” she said.

The couple met in September 2022 when she was waitressing in Charleston, South Carolina. Liam had been on a US road trip with friends when he was charmed by Kate. He delayed his flight back to London and the pair booked a hotel room and spent the next two days together. Kate had recently graduated from college and was still considering her future. And, after meeting Liam, she realised a nine to five job was impractical if she was to make their future work.

She turned to influencing, supported by loyal Liam, and now has more than 2.5 million followers across all platforms. She even appeared to influence Liam, with the couple regularly appearing together in videos and photos, “Honestly, he embraced it,” she told me. On the moment she heard of Liam’s death, she said: “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?’. “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.”. When I officially found the news out to be true, I felt numb. I tried to call him. I called pretty much everybody. Kate said Liam’s phone still rang out when she called it. She cannot remember their last phone conversation, but her last photo of Liam is of him on horseback when they went riding on Kate’s last morning in Argentina. She said: “He looks so happy.”.