Liam Payne’s girlfriend opens up about mental health struggle following singer’s death

Kate Cassidy was admittedly mired in depression and “just not wanting to really live my life” after her boyfriend Liam Payne’s death.

“I was always just kind of doing nothing and just dealing with that grief and pain,” she told Page Six exclusively at a special performance of “This is Crazy!” to benefit The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

However, Cassidy said her outlook began to change after “about two months.”

“I finally realized, ‘OK, like I need to live my life, I need to get up, get out of bed,’” she recalled.

So, the 26-year-old began setting her alarm earlier each day and began “working out, eating clean.”

After that, Cassidy had to learn to “accept” Payne’s death and “work [her] way through this.”

These days, as the first anniversary of Payne’s death approaches on Oct. 16, the social media star told us she tries to “stay as busy as I can.”

“I think that really helps my headspace,” she added.

“I like to always like be up early, have a workout class planned, go for a nice walk, eat cleaner. I feel like, for me, being active always keeps my mind so much cleaner and healthier.”

The former One Direction member died almost a year ago after falling from a third-story balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, where he was staying as a guest. He was 31.

An autopsy report later found drugs in Payne’s system. Authorities then concluded that the singer, who was under the influence, fell to his death while trying to escape his hotel room after staff had locked him.

Initially, five people were charged in his death, but only two are still facing prosecution as of October 2025.

Cassidy had initially accompanied the “Strip That Down” singer on his trip to Argentina, but left without him two days before his death when their getaway kept getting extended.

Following his death, Cassidy revealed that the couple had planned to spend the rest of their lives together.

The couple began dating in 2022 after meeting at a nightclub in Charleston, S.C.

Almost a year later, Cassidy continues to look back on her time with Payne fondly.

“He lit up any room,” she mused. “He was just so sweet, so funny. I’ve never met anybody like him, and I’m sure I probably won’t ever meet anybody like him in my life.

“In a way, I actually am glad that he’s just going to be that one person. He was the best person I ever met.”

Other celebs at the event included Jane Fonda, Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Barkin, Mark Ruffalo, and Edie Falco.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.