Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of the late Liam Payne, has publicly announced she is ready to re-enter the dating world, a significant step in her grief journey 18 months after his death.

A Year and a Half After Loss

The 27-year-old American influencer and Payne dated for two years before his passing in October 2024. His death occurred following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with toxicology reports indicating the presence of alcohol and cocaine in his system.

Navigating Love After Loss

Cassidy has consistently used social media to share her grief, openly documenting her emotions with her followers. In a recent Instagram video, she discussed the complexities of finding love again, stating, “I am ready to start dating again. It has been a year and a half since Liam passed away. I think that love after loss is a big chapter within your grief journey and I don’t know how that is going to feel.”

A Desire for the Future

Cassidy emphasized that any future relationships will coexist with her continued love for Payne. She expressed a desire for a future family, believing Payne would want her to find happiness. “But I do know that I loved being in love. I want to have kids one day, I want to have a family and I know Liam would want that for me and if the roles were reversed I would want him to be happy and fall in love again,” she explained.

An Unchanging Love

She firmly stated her love for Payne will remain constant, regardless of who she may meet. “I will always love Liam and that will never change no matter who I meet and who comes into my life. I am going to think about Liam on my wedding day, I am going to think about him everyday for the rest of my life and that goes without saying.”

Addressing Criticism and Honoring His Memory

Cassidy addressed online criticism from a troll who suggested she should stop discussing Payne. She passionately defended her right to remember and honor him, stating that allowing his memory to fade would be a second death.

Remembering Liam

“I want to make something clear. Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam. I will always talk about Liam I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam,” she declared. She clarified that Payne was not just a celebrity, but a deeply loved partner and best friend. “Let me tell you something, Liam Payne was my boyfriend. He wasn’t just this famous figure to me. It hurts so bad because I am just criticised all the time for speaking about my boyfriend that passed away, the person that I loved and still do love.”

Cassidy underscored that any future partner must be comfortable with her continued remembrance of Payne, emphasizing the profound impact he had on her life and her unwavering commitment to keeping his memory alive. “Liam was a very big part of my life. He was my best friend, somebody I really thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with and, obviously, I know one day I'm going to have to move on.I want to get married one day. I want to have kids. When a person dies, they die twice, once when they actually die and the second time when you stop speaking about them. I’m not going to have Liam die twice on me. I will love him forever.”