Liam Payne was in a relationship with Kate Cassidy until his death. They started dating in fall 2022 and briefly broke up in May 2023. They quickly reunited, and in June 2023, they were spotted holding hands again. Before going out with Kate, Liam was in a long-term relationship with model Maya Henry, which was from 2019 to 2021.
According to Kate’s social media, the influencer was with him in Argentina just days before his sudden death. She also released a statement via her Instagram Stories about her late boyfriend, which read, “I have been at a complete loss. 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.”
Find out everything you need to know about Kate here.
Kate Is a Social Media Influencer
Kate, 25, is a steadily rising Instagram influencer known for sharing stunning looks on her page. Still early in her career, her high-profile relationship boosted her follower count from around 35K to 332K on Instagram in the past year.
Liam & Kate First Met in 2022
While no one has disclosed the exact start of Kate’s romance with the “Strip That Down” singer, it seems likely it began around September 11, 2022, when a local news station in Charleston reported Liam’s presence in the area. In a TikTok posted in September 2024, Kate revealed that they met while she was working at a bar in the port city called Ritual. It was only her second week on the job, and they ended up going bowling and on a ghost tour the following day.
“We basically had one of our first dates in a graveyard,” she mentioned in the video.
The Couple Was First Spotted Together in October 2022
The pair were first seen out together on Halloween. The influencer shared a photo of them dressed as another famous couple for the holiday. Like Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox, Kate and Liam dressed up as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, inspired by the former couple’s portrayal in the miniseries Pam & Tommy.
Kate Is Involved in London Nightlife
Sources close to the pair told The Sun that, while they were still early in their relationship, they were having a great time getting to know each other. “They are mad about each other,” they said. “Kate is a wild girl, so Liam is definitely in for a fun ride. She is always out in nightclubs and seems to be loving London.”
She Studied at Coastal Carolina University
Before moving to London, Kate was a student at South Carolina’s Coastal Carolina University. While it’s not clear exactly what she studied, she did share photos from her graduation in May 2021. She also indicated that she was in a sorority on her graduation stole. “Thank you for four amazing years, ccu later,” she wrote in her Instagram caption.
Sources revealed that Kate was raised in New Jersey. Although she’s American-born, she has connections to the UK, as her dad is reportedly British.