The sudden death of Liam Payne in Argentina caught everyone by surprise while numerous individuals wanted to understand the events that happened before his departure.
His girlfriend Kate Cassidy told the public about the devastating choice to depart him in Argentina shortly before his death.
The former One Direction member died through balcony fall from the third-floor at the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2023 when he was 31 years old.
The trip to Argentina by Payne occurred to support his fellow One Direction band member Niall Horan during his October 2 performance in the city.
Credit: (Instagram/@kateecass)
Payne was joined by Cassidy in Argentina but she chose to go back to the United States just before the fatal occurrence.
Speculation quickly spread about the circumstances surrounding Payne’s final hours, especially after reports emerged that police had been called to his hotel due to concerns over an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
For many months Cassidy refused to speak about leaving before she gave an emotional interview to discuss her decision.
Kate Cassidy Speaks Out on Leaving Argentina
During her interview Cassidy openly shared her devastating feelings by stating she would have stayed in Argentina if she knew about the future events.
“Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end,” Cassidy told The Sun.
I carried a duty with my partner because we both shouldered this responsibility. Our family included a dog although I could never imagine such an unexpected tragedy would happen to us.
She disclosed that she never anticipated Payne would cease his existence before their lives began following individual routes.
“It was a tragic accident, and no, I never did think [he would die young],” she said.
Our lives ran independently from each other even though this independent travel was not a complete rarity.
Even now, months later, Cassidy struggles to process the loss, admitting that it still “doesn’t feel fully real” and that she thinks about Payne “every second of every day.”
She described the singer as her soulmate, calling him “humble” and “charming” and emphasizing how down-to-earth he was despite his worldwide fame.
Cassidy discovered the news about Payne’s death at that specific instant
Credit: (Instagram/@kateecass)
Cassidy remembered the moment when she learned about Payne’s death because it hit her with absolute shock and surrealness.
She watched TikTok videos at her home with their dog as one of Payne’s friends called her unexpectedly.
She expressed gratitude that the news about Payne’s death did not reach her through social media platforms since she would be unable to face such a revelation.
A total emptiness took over my mind during that instant because I cannot remember what happened next.
She first dismissed the information as an internet rumor so she declined to accept it at first.
At first I thought the news was only fiction among other rumors. The rumor appeared to have been generated by someone simply for gaining views on the platform. My stomach suddenly dropped with a dreadful feeling that took hold of me there and then. It crossed my mind that nobody would develop such nonsense without a reason. Is this true?’”
She experience complete shock and numbness after officials verified her worst fears regarding the situation.
“I tried to call him. According to Cassidy she contacted an almost complete list of everyone she knew.
Payne’s family received a call from Cassidy and she secured a flight for her mother to join her before daybreak.
During my anxious wandering of the house Nala thought I wanted to play fetch with her which made her continuously leap toward me. The nighttime passed without a single moment of rest for me.
Their Last Moments Together
When Cassidy left Argentina she took special efforts to prepare a comfortable homecoming environment for Payne.
The future arrival of Payne in America prompted her to send him a message full of anticipation.
The message she had sent expressed her excited anticipation to show him the house after his return.
Credit: (Instagram/@kateecass)
Payne appeared to be at absolute peace with the world as Cassidy captured his image riding horses the day before she departed for the United States.
The couple planned to marry in 2025 but destiny intervened so Cassidy has only memories of the person she considers her life partner.
She now grieves his death by holding on to his last memories since she wants to alter the timeline of events which led to his departure.
Feature Image Credit: (Instagram/@kateecass)