Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy revealed she and the One Direction singer, who tragically passed away on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, weren’t supposed to be in Argentina for more than five days.
Two days before the singer’s death, Cassidy, 25, traveled back to her home in Miami, Florida, leaving Payne in Argentina. According to her, the couple was originally only planning to be in the country for five days, but their trip ended up being extended.
In the video blog of her trip back to the US, Cassidy said: “I was so ready to leave. Honestly, love South America but I hate staying in one place for too long. And we were supposed to be there for, like, five days. It turned into two weeks and I was just like ‘I need to go home.’”
Payne died suddenly at the age of 31 after the fall at a hotel in Buenos Aires’ Palermo neighborhood. The circumstances surrounding Payne’s death are still being investigated by local authorities as they prepare to conduct a full autopsy.
El Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencias (SAME) reported that a 911 call was made from Payne’s hotel just before the accident, “reporting an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
The “Little Things” singer, who shot to fame while competing on season five of The X Factor 14 years ago, was pictured attending his old band member Niall Horan’s concert on October 2 at Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.
Cassidy shared footage from the performance, dancing with Payne from a box inside the venue. “Such a fun show,” her TikTok caption read. She also posted a number of videos from their trip to South America, including “vlogs” of them bowling, eating, and getting ready for the night.
The pair were dating for two years before the “For You” vocalist passed away. Cassidy and Payne often posted each other on social media throughout their relationship. The influencer most recently shared a picture of them from their September trip to Greece, while Payne took to his Instagram, hours before his death, to post a mirror selfie with Cassidy from their Argentina trip. Cassidy has yet to release a statement on Payne’s passing.
His family issued a statement through a spokeswoman yesterday, asking for “privacy and space at this awful time.”
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the statement read. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family.”
Tributes from music industry legends like Ronnie Wood and Charlie Puth have poured in as One Direction fans wait to hear from Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson, Payne’s old bandmates.
