Kate Cassidy has opened up about losing her boyfriend, British singer Liam Payne, whom she was with for two years before he died.
Almost four months since the former One Direction star died from injuries after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cassidy went on the British talk show Lorraine, sharing her grief journey since Payne’s death last October.
At about the 6:45-minute mark in the video below, the influencer revealed that she often speaks about Payne “so much in the present tense,” as if the late musician is still alive. She’s finding his death “really hard to accept.”
“I don’t even feel the need to correct myself because that’s part of my healing journey,” Cassidy explained. “I’m still working on accepting the fact that he’s not here anymore, so it’s hard for me to refer to him in the past tense.”
“When I talk about him in the past tense, it hurts that much more,” Cassidy added. “I never imagined I’d be referring to him as someone who’s gone, so it’s really tough to come to terms with.”
Though visibly emotional, Cassidy kept it together during the interview, sharing that she experiences both “better days” and “harder days,” while wiping away a tear.
Telling host Lorraine Kelly that she’s “surrounded by such a great support system,” Cassidy also talked about her wellness routine and staying as “productive” as possible.
“I’ll always have so much love for him… His presence was just comforting and warming, and that’s something I’ll never forget about him,” she concluded.
According to Payne’s toxicology report, the singer had consumed alcohol and various drugs, including “pink cocaine,” before his death. Hotel staff reportedly locked Payne in his room when he started behaving erratically, and five people, including the hotel manager and receptionist, have since been charged in connection with his death.
Besides Cassidy, Payne’s family and friends, along with his former One Direction bandmates, have publicly mourned his loss.
