Kate Cassidy is reeling from the loss of boyfriend Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who died this week in Argentina.
The social media influencer, who had been romantically linked with Payne for two years, broke her silence Friday in an Instagram story, revealing she has “been at a complete loss.”
“Nothing about the past few days have felt real,” Cassidy said.
Payne, who was best known as a singer-songwriter in the “What Makes You Beautiful” boy band, died Wednesday evening after falling from a balcony on the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31.
He died about two weeks after arriving in Argentina for former bandmate Niall Horan’s Oct. 2 show at Movistar Arena. Cassidy had traveled with Payne to Argentina, but left before his death. In her statement, Cassidy thanked fans for their support but requested privacy to process the loss. She then addressed Payne directly, calling him “my angel.”
“You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely,” she said. “I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
In the bottom right corner of her post, Cassidy also included the sequence “444” — seemingly angel numbers — and a red heart emoji.
Cassidy and Payne first sparked dating rumors in October 2022 when they were spotted together at a trendy London restaurant. Less than a month later, Cassidy made their relationship Instagram official. The pair had also taken their love public, appearing together at red carpet events including film premieres and fashion shows over the years.
Cassidy’s tribute joins those from Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik. One Direction was formed in 2010 on “X Factor” when judges decided that the five singers, who all entered the competition as individuals, would better thrive as a group than as solo artists.
In a joint message shared Thursday, the surviving band members said on the One Direction Instagram account: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” they said. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Shortly after, the singers began doling out their individual tributes. Charlie Puth, Rita Ora and Simon Cowell — one of the “X Factor” judges behind the pivotal One Direction decision — have also paid tribute to Payne on social media.
Cassidy joined Payne’s family in mourning the singer and requesting privacy as more details about his final hours — including a cause of death — emerge. Heartbroken, Payne’s loved ones said in a statement that the singer will “forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”