Liam Payne’s girlfriend says she’s “still working on accepting” his death
Liam Payne‘s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has admitted that she is “still working on accepting” the former One Direction singer’s death.
Payne died on October 16 last year after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, with the Argentinian prosecutor’s office sharing at the time that his cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding. He was 31 years old.
Cassidy gave a rare interview to Lorraine in which she spoke about the emotional toll Payne’s loss had taken on her. She admitted that she had “better days” and “harder days”, but those harder days could involve her struggling “to get out of bed” in the morning. In addition, she said she hasn’t yet got accustomed to referring to Payne in the past tense.
“I find myself talking about him so much in the present tense … I don’t even feel the need to correct myself because that’s part of my healing journey,” Cassidy said. “I’m still working on accepting the fact that he’s not here anymore, so it’s hard for me to refer to him in the past tense.”
“It is really hard. I’ve never lost anybody before close to me, so this is my first time dealing with anything like this and going through this grief and healing journey,” she said. “I am trying to do my best. I have my better days, I have my harder days. But I’m surrounded by such a great support system.”
Cassidy had been with Payne in Argentina on holiday prior to his death, where they had also watched Payne’s One Direction bandmate Niall Horan‘s concert. Before Payne’s death, Cassidy returned home as she had “responsibilities” to take care of.
Speaking to The Sun last month, Cassidy has revealed that Payne was in “such a good headspace” when she left Argentina but that “you never know when [his addiction] is gonna come out.”
She explained why she had to leave Argentina: “Originally, we thought we were only going to be in Argentina for about a week… We had a responsibility. We had our dog, and obviously I never would have thought this event would have occurred. I never would have thought that this would have happened. I never would have thought that it would ever turn out the way it did.”
Reflecting on her choice to return to Miami despite Payne wanting to extend their trip, she told the publication: “If I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina.”
Meanwhile, Payne’s family recently spoke about the “indescribable, lasting damage” that media intrusion has had on them since his death.
At the BRIT Awards on Saturday (March 1), an emotional tribute video aired for the singer, with host Jack Whitehall saying it was time to honour “a very special person who meant so much to so many of the people in this room and to millions of you around the world.”
Now, Payne’s family have issued a statement in reaction to the video. “This weekend, at the Brit Awards, Liam was remembered for his phenomenal contribution to British music and for his wider, positive impact on millions of adoring fans the world over. We joined in that celebration of his life and will forever remember the joy that his music brought to the world.”
“The constant media attention and speculation which has accompanied the process has exacted indescribable, lasting damage on the family, particularly on Liam’s son, who is trying to process emotions which no seven-year-old should have to experience,” they added.
“The family has always wished for privacy to grieve and asks that they be given the space and time to do so.”
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Emma Wilkes
NME
