Liam Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, is opening up about the late pop icon's death in her first interview since the tragic incident.
Payne plunged to his death from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16, 2024. He was 31 years old.
Cassidy had been vacationing with Payne before his death and was featured in several of his final Snapchat posts. In a new interview with the UK's The Sun, the influencer admitted she regretted leaving for Florida instead of staying with Payne.
"I had a responsibility, we had a responsibility. We had our dog and obviously I never, ever thought this event would occur," Cassidy said of her decision.
The couple, who dated for two years, shared a rescue dog.
Cassidy went on to describe Payne's death as a "tragic accident," adding she "never" thought he would die so young.
"But, you know, we did have our own separate lives — this wasn't the first time we have traveled separately," Cassidy said. "I just never thought this would have happened, that it would turn out the way it did. It still doesn't feel fully real for me that he's not here."
She added she still thinks about Payne "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," Cassidy said, adding that knowing Payne would no longer "be there with me to navigate through this life, that I'll have to deal with this without him by my side" is "really hard."
"You don't think about the worst possible thing that can happen," she said.
Taking to her Instagram Stories Wednesday, Cassidy explained she "wanted to share an insight into the relationship with the love of my life" after receiving thousands of messages from his fans.
"This is my first ever interview while I navigate the pain of losing Liam, so please bear with me as I share my experience, which I hope will be received with compassion and understanding," she wrote, according to People.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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