Kate Cassidy has admitted she fell into depression after the death of boyfriend Liam Payne and “just didn’t really want to live my life”.
“I was always doing nothing and just dealing with that sadness and pain,” she told Page Six exclusively during a special performance of “This Is Crazy!” To benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
But Cassidy said her outlook started to change “after about two months.”
“I finally realized, ‘Okay, I have to get up and get out of bed, just like I want to live my life,'” she recalls.
So the 26-year-old started setting her alarm early every day to “work out and eat clean.”
Cassidy then had to “come to terms with” Payne’s death and learn to “move through the situation.”
As the first anniversary of Payne’s death approaches on October 16, the social media star said she is trying to “stay as busy as possible.”
“I think it really helps clear your head,” she added.
“I always like to wake up early, plan my workout classes, go for walks, and eat clean. For me, I feel like being active always keeps my mind very clean and healthy.”
The former One Direction member died about a year ago after falling from the third-floor balcony of the Casasul Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, where he was a guest. He was 31 years old.
A subsequent autopsy report found drugs in Payne’s system. Authorities later concluded that the singer was under the influence of alcohol and fell to his death while trying to escape from his hotel room after staff locked it.
Initially, five people were charged in his death, but as of October 2025, only two remain indicted.
Cassidy originally accompanied the “Strip That Down” singer on his trip to Argentina, but as his vacation kept getting extended, she left without him two days before his death.
After his death, Cassidy revealed that the couple intended to spend the rest of their lives together.
The couple began dating in 2022 after meeting at a nightclub in Charleston, South Carolina.
Almost a year later, Cassidy still looks back fondly on the time she spent with Payne.
“He could brighten up any room,” she recalled. “He was such a sweet guy and so funny. I’ve never met anyone like him and I’m sure I’ll never meet anyone like him in my life.
“In a way, I’m really happy that he became that person. He was the best person I’ve ever met.”
Other celebrities in attendance at the event included Jane Fonda, Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Barkin, Mark Ruffalo, and Edie Falco.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
