Kate Cassidy has spoken candidly about prioritising her wellbeing as she navigates her second Christmas without her former partner, the late One Direction star Liam Payne.
A Festive Season of Remembrance and Grief
The 26-year-old influencer shared a poignant message with her followers after the undoubtedly difficult holiday period. On her Instagram story, she posted a picture of an infrared sauna, simply captioning it: "needed this." This act of self-care follows a festive season where she openly reminisced about Payne, who died tragically in October 2024 at the age of 31. The pair had been in a relationship for two years prior to his passing.
In the days leading up to Christmas, Kate took to TikTok to share a cherished and light-hearted memory. She recalled how Liam would order gingerbread men every year, which they would then enjoy together. "He'd always get so many gingerbread cookies, and they were always so weird looking, with one eye up high and another down by its leg," she told viewers from her kitchen.
She accompanied the story with previously unseen footage of the couple in bed, where Liam could be heard declaring the biscuits "The best ever." The video also showed the haphazardly decorated cookies, complete with lopsided eyes and brightly coloured sweet buttons.
Heartbreaking Social Media Updates
Kate's grief remains a profound part of her life. On Sunday, she posted a short, atmospheric video on Instagram showing her watching a sunset by the ocean with her dog. The caption carried a message of hope and resilience: "God said, 'This year I made you strong, next year I am going to make you happy.'" She added a crossed-fingers emoji to the post.
The singer's death occurred in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he fell from the third-floor balcony of a hotel room. Subsequent tests confirmed he was intoxicated at the time of the fatal accident.
Navigating Love, Loss, and the Future
Kate has been remarkably open with her followers about the ongoing struggle with her loss. In a recent and emotional TikTok video, she made it clear that Liam will always hold a special place in her heart and that any future partner must accept this.
"I want to make something clear. Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam," she stated firmly. "I will always talk about Liam, I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam."
She emphasised the personal nature of her loss, explaining: "Let me tell you something, Liam Payne was my boyfriend. He wasn’t just this famous figure to me. It hurts so bad because I am just criticised all the time for speaking about my boyfriend that passed away, the person that I loved and still do love."
While acknowledging that she hopes to one day move on, get married, and have children, Kate vowed to keep Liam's memory alive. She concluded with a powerful reflection: "When a person dies, they die twice, once when they actually die and the second time when you stop speaking about them. I’m not going to have Liam die twice on me. I will love him forever."
