Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy reportedly gave him a ‘tough love’ ultimatum before his tragic death.
The former One Direction singer died on October 16, aged just 31, after plunging from a third-floor balcony at Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Liam, who shot to fame as a teen on The X Factor, suffered “serious injuries that were incompatible with life”.
The beloved star had jet off on holiday with his girlfriend of two years, Kate, but she returned home alone after extending their stay. Kate felt ready to return to Los Angeles, but Liam stayed abroad and horrifically fell to his death around 48 hours later.
Final ultimatum
Liam had reportedly been clean from drugs in his final months, but he appears to have fallen back into taking narcotics and drinking alcohol shortly before his death. It was then that Kate reportedly gave him an ultimatium – stop taking them or lose her.
Speaking to the New York Post, the source, who is allegedly a friend, said: “His drug use was causing a lot of drama. So she gave him an ultimatum: her or the drugs. He chose the drugs, so she had no choice but to remove herself from the situation. She thought she was doing tough love.”
The claims surrounding Kate come after an Argentinian waiter spoke out to protest his innocence. Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, is accused of being the ‘dealer’ who handed drugs to Liam but denies all allegations. He claims they struck up a friendship and took drugs together.
Marriage note
According to Kate, Liam had intended to marry her, making his wishes clear in a note he wrote shortly before he passed. Taking to Instagram in the wake of his death, Kate opened up about the romantic message Liam had told her not to read, that he’d penned during an evening spent manifesting the futures they’d hoped for. Sadly, these dreams were cut devastatingly short.
Kate wrote: “A few weeks ago, we sat outside on a beautiful evening manifesting our lives together. I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said, ‘Me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged and together forever 444’. Liam, I know we’ll be together forever, but not in the way we had planned. You’ll always be with me. I’ve gained a guardian angel.”
She continued: “I will love you for the rest of my life and beyond, carrying our dreams and memories with me everywhere I go. Forever yours, Katelyn 444.” In numerology, 444 is an angel number that represents a powerful message of guidance, support, and love from angels watching over you.
Decision to leave
In his last social media video before his shock death, Liam showed himself and the 25-year-old influencer at the breakfast table on holiday, with it captioned: “Lovely day in Argentina [love heart emoji].” He filmed Kate who revealed how they “sleep in everyday until 12, we’re such losers”. To which Liam replied: “No” before giggling.
But Liam was then left to enjoy the South American country alone as Kate decided to fly home back to Florida. She admitted it was starting to feel a bit too long to hang out in the country when she posted a TikTok before the incident.
She said: “I was so ready to leave. Love South America, but I hate staying in one place for too long and we were supposed to be there for five days, turned into two weeks and I was just like, ‘I need to go home’.” Liam instead chose to stick around at the hotel and around 48 hours later, he was found dead.
Final decision
Although photos from their holiday appeared idyllic, a friend of Kate’s compared her stay in Argentina to a ‘hostage situation’. This unnamed pal told the New York Post that Kate had harboured concerns that Liam was preparing to go on a bender after she flew back home, however, she couldn’t stay any longer.
The source explained: “She can’t leave, or else who knows what will happen? And if she leaves, what will he do? But she has other responsibilities, other things that she’s supposed to be doing. So she finally had to make a decision.”
They continued: “They’re in Argentina and it’s like a hostage situation. So she tells him she wants to leave, this is after a week. He begs her to stay. She keeps extending her trip, a day, two days. And he just wants her to stay, stay, stay.”
“I get what people are saying, that she should just stay with her rich, famous boyfriend, but she wanted to be home in her own bed with her dog. She wanted to come home. So eventually she says she’s going home.”
Newly adopted dog
Mere weeks before he died, Liam and Kate jointly fostered a dog from an animal shelter. Just one month before Liam’s fatal fall, he and Kate welcomed home Nala, a sweet pooch they wanted to give ‘a second chance’.
Updating fans at the time, Liam revealed: “I really love her. She is so cute. She is a tiny new member of the family for a while. We’re going to foster her for a while and get her really nice for a loving family I think. But we might be the nice family.”
Kate added: “We did a meet and greet with three different dogs and this one fit us best. She’s so sweet. She’s only four months old. She was abandoned by her previous owners and dumped at the shelter. We wanted to give her a second chance and a better life.”
Liam was also the proud owner of another dog called Stan, who he welcomed back in February. Sharing the news at the time via Facebook, animal lover Liam posted: “Welcome to the family, Stanley! Our hearts are bigger with you in it.”
