Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of the late singer Liam Payne, has posted a profoundly moving tribute to mark one year since his tragic death. The emotional video, shared on Instagram, comes shortly after Liam's former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson and mentor Simon Cowell also opened up about their grief.
A Year in Review: Kate's Heartfelt Video Montage
In the poignant social media post, Kate Cassidy began with a clip of herself with Liam, overlaid with the text: "What have you been up to since I've been gone?" She then answered that question with a montage of moments from her year, listing the significant events and activities that have filled her time.
The list included turning 26, adopting their foster dog, staying busy with friends, speaking about Liam, getting tattoos, visiting Disney, staying active, and focusing on things that make her happy. She captioned the entire video simply with, "Love you my Liam!!!!" The post was met with an immediate and powerful wave of support from fans, who flooded the comments with messages of love and pride for her strength.
Navigating Public Grief and Finding Comfort
This public reflection is not the first time Kate has spoken about her loss. On the anniversary of Liam's death on 16 October 2024, she shared a black-and-white photograph of the couple, captioning it: "Today marks a full year without you here. I will forever hate goodbyes. I miss you Liam."
Her journey through grief has, at times, been subject to public scrutiny. Earlier this year, she faced criticism for finding solace in AI-generated images of her and Liam. In a powerful response on TikTok, Kate defended her right to grieve in her own way, telling followers to "stop judging people for how they grieve." She emphasised that no one can understand her position unless they have experienced a similar loss.
A Shared Loss: Tomlinson and Cowell's Heartache
Kate is not alone in her public mourning. Liam's former bandmate, Louis Tomlinson, has recently stated that he will "never really accept" the death and continues to struggle with his grief. Similarly, music mogul Simon Cowell revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that the tragedy "really hit hard" and expressed his wish that he "could turn back the clock."
Liam Payne died on 16 October 2024, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after a fall from a hotel balcony. He had been on holiday with Kate, who had returned to the UK just days before the incident.
