Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy's whirlwind love story from schoolgirl crush to 'drugs ultimatum'

Liam Payne was Kate Cassidy's 'childhood crush' before he became her partner.

The One Direction singer, 31, fatally fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024. His body was tragically found on an internal patio of the hotel after suffering "severe injuries which were incompatible with life". Liam spent his last few weeks enjoying a sun-soaked holiday with his beloved girlfriend Kate.

But 48 hours before the X Factor star's death, influencer Kate, 25, decided to return to Miami, Florida, to take care of their dog, Nala, devastatingly unaware of what would happen next. The couple, of more than two years, had jetted off on a vacation and made an appearance at the concert of Liam's ex-bandmate, Niall Horan.

In a new interview with The Sun, Kate explained that Liam was her "childhood crush" and she had posters of 1D on her bedroom walls from the age of 10. She said: "Growing up, I had posters on walls. I think I had a One Direction one but I don't know if I had his solo poster. But I did have him at some point on my wall... Yeah, I probably did the 1D dance routines - Liam was a pretty good dancer."

She described the late musician as one of the greatest people she'd ever met and didn't care about his fame or staggering fortune. The pair met at a bar in South Carolina in September 2022, with Liam asking for her number and then asking her out. For Liam, the attraction was immediate, and he asked for her number straight away.

However, their relationship almost didn't take off. Kate gave Liam her phone number and forgot to add +1 to her area code, due to having an American number. Liam delayed his flight back to London following their first date, a game of bowling – with them checking into a hotel for 48 hours.

"We were lying in bed watching a movie, and he said, 'Would you like to be my girlfriend and would you want to move in with me? Like, I really love you,'" she revealed. The pair had plans to marry and welcome children, with Kate admitting they "definitely," wanted that and had spoken about their future together as their relationship continued to intensify.

She said her relationship with Liam was similar to a 'fairytale' and she gave him a chance of "normality" in his hectic life. The pair were first pictured together wearing Halloween costumes, with Kate dressed as Pamela Anderson, while Liam, sporting a white tank top, went as her ex-husband Tommy Lee. Two months later, they made their official debut at the British Fashion Awards in London.

Kate claimed to have 'manifested' her romance with the star. In a clip shared to her TikTok in November 2023, she began: "I am the best manifester, and I'm going to show you why." She revealed she had drawn an image of the pop singer onto a "popsicle stick", adding: "And somehow 10 years later." She filmed herself opening the door to her childhood bedroom, where Liam was on her bed.

Following Liam's death, Kate paid tribute to her late boyfriend in a heartfelt social media post. She revealed they had been hoping to take their relationship to the next level. She said: "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 that we planned. You'll always be with me. I've gained a guardian angel. I will love you for the rest of my life and beyond, carrying our dreams and memories with me wherever I go. Forever yours, Katelyn, 444."

Kate explained "444" is the number of angels. On her Instagram she said: "More often, you will see the number 444 when you are feeling down. In simple sense, the number 444 reminds you that your angels are always there to support you. When you see this number you will be reassured that you are protected and loved by the angels."

Before Liam's death, Kate shared why she decided to fly home back to Florida. She said on a TikTok: "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'." She has since said she had a "responsibility" to care for their dog, Nala.

Kate told The Sun that she took what would become her last photo of Liam when they were horseback riding on their final day together, and said he "looks so happy". Kate shared: "Liam was in such a good headspace when I left Argentina. We were in such a great place, just full of love; he was so happy and positive.

"And I just can't even believe the way things truly ended. It's genuinely insane to me how things can just be taken away from you so quickly in life, you never truly know what tomorrow will bring, you never know." She also revealed her final text to him when she returned to their home in Miami: "I can't wait for you to get home and see the house."

Kate had their Florida mansion decorated for Halloween, but he sadly never saw it. She discovered the news of Liam's shattering death when one of his friends called her at home. Initially, she thought it was a cruel hoax, but had a "bad feeling" that it would be true. Her mother got the first flight to Florida to be with her, and Kate tried to call Liam's phone to speak to him.

Despite reportedly being clean from drugs in his final months, Liam appeared to relapse, with the initial toxicology report finding traces of "alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants" in his system. But in the days before his untimely passing, Kate said there were no signs of the darkness that lay ahead.

After Liam's death, it was claimed Kate had allegedly given him an ultimatum - stop taking drugs or lose her. Speaking to the New York Post, a source, who was reportedly a friend, said: "His drug use was causing a lot of drama. So she gave him an ultimatum: her or the drugs. She thought she was doing tough love."

Liam was open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol in his final years. He admitted going through a wild "pills and booze phase" when he sky-rocketed to fame as a teenager, and said he hit "rock bottom" at the peak of his success. In 2023, he posted a YouTube video confirming he was almost six months sober after nearly 100 days in rehab.