"I find myself talking about him so much in the present tense" - Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy on struggling to "accept" the singer's death

Late singer Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy recently opened up about how she's coping with his death. On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the social media star spoke to Lorraine Kelly of ITV's morning show Lorraine as she helped promote the program's March4March campaign.

The former One Direction band member passed away in October 2024 after falling from the third floor of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Talking about his death, Cassidy stated:

"I find myself talking about him so much in the present tense. I don’t even feel the need to correct myself, because I still can’t fully — that’s part of my healing journey — I’m still working on accepting the fact that he’s not here anymore."

Payne and Cassidy traveled to Argentina on October 2 to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan's concert.

In the days leading up to his death, the couple spent traveling the country, according to the singer's final social media posts.

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"Sometimes it's hard for me to get out of bed in the morning" - Kate Cassidy about her healing journey

In her interview, Kate Cassidy told Lorraine Kelly that she'll always have "so much love" for Liam Payne, adding:

"I never would’ve thought that I would be talking about him in the past tense."

Cassidy told Kelly that coping with her partner's death was "really hard." She revealed that she had never lost someone close to her before.

"I am trying to do my best. I have my better days, I have my harder days, but I am surrounded by such a great support system that I cannot thank enough," she stated.

Payne and Kate Cassidy were first linked together in October 2022 after being spotted attending a Halloween party together. They confirmed their relationship by walking the British Fashion Awards red carpet together in December.

An hour before his death, Payne shared stories from his trip to Argentina on Snapchat. This included him having breakfast with Cassidy and pictures taken around their hotel.

The pair looked happy and enjoyed their stay. It was later revealed that Cassidy had flown back to the U.S. just a few days before the tragedy for some work.

During Wednesday's interview, Kate Cassidy also helped launch the program's March4March campaign. The drive called for viewers to walk an extra 10,000 steps every week to help their mental health.

Cassidy explained that Payne was always "open about his mental health," and she was advocating for the campaign in his place.

"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," Kate Cassidy noted.

The influencer explained that walking could "make such a difference," before confessing:

"I've always enjoyed walking... but now 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."

On February 5, Kate Cassidy interviewed with The Sun, her first since Payne's death, where she opened up about their final days together. She explained she returned to Florida to care for their rescue dog, Nala.

The influencer explained that she decorated their home for Halloween and was excited to show Payne the results. She also confessed to seeing a counselor to help her cope with the loss.

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Last week, Liam Payne was honored at the 2025 Brit Awards in a special tribute video celebrating his legacy.