Kate Cassidy has spoken out about receiving death threats and accusations of being a gold-digger following the death of her boyfriend Liam Payne.
The 25-year-old influencer, who had been in a relationship with the former One Direction star for two years, deactivated her social media accounts after facing abuse online, including criticism over her appearance at Payne’s funeral in November. Payne, 31, died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, but says the late singer’s words of encouragement have helped her deal with the backlash.
Cassidy told The Sun in her first interview since Payne’s tragic death: “One hate comment is equivalent to a hundred nice comments so it’s hard but I understand that.
“Liam would want me to be as strong as I can be, and just have a thick skin.
“That’s one thing he always taught me. He grew up in this life, and he always was just so positive about it and said, ‘Don’t let any hate get to you’.”
Cassidy also praised One Direction fans for their support but admitted the band’s fanbase made their fame intense – and spoke about how their followers are putting under scrutiny.
She said: “I understand that some of the more negative comments come from a place of loving Liam, and concern, and caring for Liam.
“So I understand that because I love Liam, too. But for sure it’s hard because obviously any criticism will get to you.”
She confirmed she had received death threats and abusive messages in the wake of Payne’s shock passing, adding: “That’s why I had to delete social media for a bit, and still sometimes I’ll take a break from it.”
Cassidy and Payne lived together in a multi-million-pound rented mansion in Florida before his death.
She has since returned to her family home in New Jersey.
Reports in the US claimed she received a £20,000 (US$24,800) monthly “living allowance” from Payne – allegations she described as intrusive.
She hit back: “Obviously after his death there was a lot of speculation, and things that were said about me, and I was getting called certain labels.
“Liam and I had a relationship where I couldn’t possibly work a nine-to-five job with his work and his lifestyle and I moved across the world to be with him.”
Payne’s funeral, held at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, was attended by the late singer’s former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
Cassidy was accompanied by her model friend Damian Hurley but faced criticism from some social media users over her appearance at the service.
She defended her decision to wear make-up on the day, telling The Sun: “People are going to say things no matter what. I genuinely wanted to just look beautiful for my boyfriend one last time; that’s how he would want to see me, and that’s how I would want him to see to remember me by.”
