Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy attend The Fashion Awards 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall on December 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Kate
Today (October 18), Cassidy – who had been in a relationship with Payne since 2022 and was traveling with him days before his passing – has taken to her Instagram stories to pay tribute to the ‘Strip That Down’ singer.
“Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way,” began her message. “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.”
She ended her message by sharing: “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.”
Earlier today, Cheryl spoke out about the “indescribably painful” death of Payne – who was her ex-partner and father to her 7-year-old son Bear – and urged people to “give Liam the little dignity he has left”.
Tributes have been pouring in for the singer over the last two days, including a joint statement from One Direction’s surviving members – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles – in which they said that they would need time “to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
Horan shared his own reflections, saying: “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
Payne’s family have also issued a statement, saying: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Simon Cowell, who signed One Direction to his Syco label after their run on The X Factor in 2010, also wrote a touching tribute in which he said he “feels empty” and “heartbroken” by his death.