Liam Payne's GF Kate Cassidy gets teary-eyed in first TV interview, struggles to accept his death
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kate Cassidy has opened up on the heartbreaking loss of her boyfriend, Liam Payne, in her first TV interview since his death. The singer, 31, died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Cassidy, 25, who was with him in Buenos Aires before flying to the US days before his death, shared how she is still working through her grief.
Kate Cassidy says 'it's hard' for her to refer to Liam Payne in past tense
In an interview with ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly, Kate Cassidy spoke about how difficult it has been for her to accept Liam Payne’s death.
“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.
She continued, "When I do refer to him in the past tense, it almost stings that little bit more because… it just … it's more official," Sky News reported.
"I never would have thought that I would be talking about him in the past tense, so it's definitely really hard to accept," she added.
Kate Cassidy is still struggling with Liam Payne's death
Kate Cassidy revealed that this is her first experience with such deep grief.
“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,” Cassidy said, as per People.
She added that she has her "harder days" and sometimes struggles "to get out of bed in the morning," but she is grateful for the support system around her.
"I'm surrounded by such a great support system that I cannot thank enough," Cassidy said.
Cassidy praised Kelly and ITV for launching a new mental health initiative, which she is helping to promote.
"I genuinely believe Liam, in a way, guided me to this campaign and wanted me to be involved in this, and to help other people," said Cassidy.
Kate Cassidy says Liam Payne was open about mental health
Kate Cassidy spoke about Liam Payne’s openness regarding mental health and how she is now carrying that message forward.
“He was so open about his mental health," she said of Payne.
"I'm going through this healing journey, sometimes it's hard for me to get out of bed in the morning and something I don't want to do. But I have this responsibility and this obligation that I am almost in a way... I have no choice," she added.
Cassidy also shared how her dog, Nala, whom she had with Payne, has helped her cope.
"I have to get out of bed [for my dog] Nala and whether it's a five-minute walk or 20-minute walk first thing in the morning," Cassidy added.
"Either way, it just wakes me up and refreshes my mind instead of laying in bed all day just scrolling through social media or old photos, it gets me out of bed and really, really helps my mindset and my mental health," she continued.
She added that she is doing "small things like yoga" to improve her mental state and expressed gratitude to her "friends [and] family, just for being there for me."
Reflecting on Payne, Cassidy said, “I’ll always have so much love for him … His presence was just comforting and warming and that's something that I'll never forget about him.”
