Liam Payne’s grieving girlfriend Kate Cassidy appeared to fight back tears as she was seen for the first time since the One Direction star’s funeral.
Pictures obtained by the Daily Mail on Friday, November 29, show model Cassidy, 25, walking in central London and visiting a coffee shop on Thursday, November 28. Cassidy wore a long coat and sweatpants and pulled her hair into a bun.
Cassidy appeared emotional in the pictures as she looked at her phone and walked through the streets holding a coffee cup.
Cassidy’s solemn coffee run marks the first time she has been seen since attending Payne’s November 20 funeral in Amersham, England.
The model wore an all-black ensemble for the somber event, sporting a black maxi dress, boots and a fur-collared coat. She accessorized with a matching black purse and a pair of sunglasses. She was accompanied by Elizabeth Hurley’s son, Damian Hurley.
Cassidy was one of many mourners to gather at the funeral to honor Payne’s memory, including his parents, Kate and Geoff Payne, his former 1D bandmates — Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik — his ex Cheryl Cole, and stars such as James Corden and Simon Cowell.
Us Weekly confirmed on October 16 that Payne died at age 31 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from his third-story hotel balcony. Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti announced that the singer suffered “serious injuries” that were untreatable by the time first responders arrived on the scene.
An early autopsy revealed that Payne died of “internal and external” hemorrhages and that he may have fallen “in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.” It was later reported that multiple drugs were in his system at the time of death, including “pink cocaine,” and three people have since been charged with the supply and facilitation of narcotics and abandonment leading to death.
Payne and Cassidy dated on and off since 2022 and were enjoying a vacation in Argentina in the days leading up to his death. Cassidy, however, was not present when he died, having returned to the U.S. two days before his fall.
“Thank you for all the kind words and love that has been sent my way,” she wrote via her Instagram Story on October 18. “I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.”
Calling Payne her “angel,” she continued: “You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
In another Instagram tribute, Cassidy revealed that Payne wrote her a heartfelt note weeks before his death. “We sat outside on a beautiful evening manifesting our lives together,” she shared. “I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said, ‘Me and Kate to marry withing a year/engaged & together forever 444.’”
