Liam Payne reportedly began acting haphazardly in the days leading up to his tragic death.
Payne’s “erratic behavior started ramping up” after his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, returned home to Florida on Oct. 14, just two days before the former One Direction member fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina, a source close to the influencer told People Tuesday.
“Like you could see from the Snapchat videos, he was a different person around her,” the insider shared, referring to Payne’s posts about his “lovely day” in Buenos Aires prior to his death.
Photos and videos on social media showed Payne and Cassidy chatting, posing for selfies together and enjoying their South American vacation.
The source also told the magazine that Cassidy, 25, “had been super supportive” and “stood by” Payne amid his “legal drama” with his ex-fiancée Maya Henry.
The insider was referring to Henry, 23, issuing a cease-and-desist to Payne — just days before the singer’s death on Oct. 16 — after claiming he would repeatedly contact her and her family members.
Reps for Payne and Cassidy didn’t return Page Six’s requests for comment.
The “Strip That Down” crooner and the model began dating in late 2022, and she was frequently by his side up until his death. They traveled to Buenos Aires to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on Oct. 2 and ended up staying for two weeks.
However, Cassidy explained in a TikTok video shared two days before Payne’s death that she decided to leave the country while he stayed back.
She did not provide an explanation as to why at the time, but one of her friends told The Post that Payne “begged” her to stay with him and they got into a “heated” exchange over her wanting to return home.
“He was really unhappy about that,” the pal claimed. “He made sure she knew that.”
Cassidy is “devastated” and “hasn’t stopped crying” since she heard the news of Payne’s death, according to her friend.
“She’s not alone,” they added. “She’s responsive to me and our other friends. We’ll all help her however we can.”
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Cassidy spoke out about the unexpected loss on her Instagram Story last Friday.
“Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss,” she wrote at the time. “Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.
“Liam, my angel. 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,” she added before concluding her message with the angel number 444.
Several of Payne’s family members and friends, including all of One Direction, have released statements mourning the late pop star.
Payne died after falling from from the balcony of his third-floor room at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. He was 31.
The “Teardrops” singer died from multiple traumas that led to internal and external bleeding, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Page Six.
Officials have not revealed whether the fall was intentional or accidental nor have they released the full results of his autopsy yet. However, Page Six previously confirmed alcohol and drugs were found in Payne’s hotel room.
Sources told ABC News Monday that the entertainer had substances including cocaine and crack in his system at the time of his death. Preliminary tests also found benzodiazepine, which is a depressant, and “pink cocaine,” a recreational drug that commonly combines methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA.
Payne had previously admitted to struggling with addiction and mental health issues, and a source told Page Six exclusively last week that he “had been cycling through periods of ruinous behavior” in the final years of his life.
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