Liam Payne's girlfriend says she 'never thought' he might die young

Liam Payne's woman has said she would "never person near Argentina", if she had known the singer's decease would happen.

US influencer Kate Cassidy - who had been successful a narration with the One Direction prima since 2022 - told the Sun successful an exclusive interview that Payne's decease was a "tragic accident".

"No, I ne'er did deliberation [he mightiness dice young]... I conscionable ne'er thought this would person happened," she added, successful her archetypal interrogation since helium died.

Payne died successful October past year, aft falling from the balcony of his edifice country successful Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.

A week aft his death, Cassidy posted a tribute to the vocalist online, describing him arsenic "my champion friend, the emotion of my life".

She besides posted a photograph of a enactment written by Payne soon earlier helium died, suggesting the mates would wed wrong a year.

The 25-year-old told the Sun: "Love is truthful optimistic, and you conscionable anticipation that everything volition enactment retired astatine the end.

"Obviously if I knew, if I could spot into the future, I would ne'er person near Argentina".

She added that she ne'er thought her travelling separately from him "would crook retired the mode it did".

Payne had been successful Argentina connected vacation to spot his erstwhile bandmate Niall Horan successful concert.

Cassidy said that she had near Argentina and returned to their Florida location unsocial to instrumentality attraction of their dog, Nala.

"I had a responsibility, we had a responsibility. We had our canine and evidently I never, ever thought this lawsuit would occur," she explained.

She added that "Liam was successful specified a bully headspace erstwhile I left".

Payne's abrupt decease sparked a statement astir the euphony industry's work of attraction for young stars.

Toxicology tests conducted soon aft his decease revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine and a medicine antidepressant successful Payne's body, the prosecutor's bureau successful Argentina said.

The origin of his decease was confirmed arsenic "polytrauma" – a word for aggregate traumatic injuries – astatine the opening of a UK inquest held successful Buckinghamshire recently.

According to the Sun, Cassidy has since near their Florida location and moved backmost to New Jersey.

Cassidy said she believed they were "soulmates" from the archetypal clip they met, and that it "still doesn't consciousness afloat real" that he's nary longer there.

"I'm trying to beryllium the champion I tin be, but I consciousness similar my beingness has changed truthful much. I deliberation astir Liam each 2nd of each day," she said adding: "That helium won't beryllium determination with maine to navigate done this life, that I'll person to woody with this without him by my side... it's truly hard."

The mates met successful 2022, erstwhile Cassidy was a waitress successful South Carolina, the insubstantial reported.

When she got the telephone astir Payne's decease from a person of his, she said: "I consciousness similar I conscionable wholly blacked out. When I officially recovered the quality retired to beryllium true, I felt numb. I tried to telephone him. I called beauteous overmuch everybody."

She told the Sun that she inactive calls Payne's telephone to perceive his voicemail recording, and that portion she utilized to autumn dormant to his music, she tin nary longer play it.

"Maybe 1 day," she added.

"We were successful specified a large place, conscionable afloat of love; helium was truthful blessed and positive... you ne'er genuinely cognize what time volition bring, you ne'er know."