Former One Direction member Liam Payne unexpectedly died at age 31 after falling from his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16, 2024.
He fell from his room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, resulting in “extremely serious injuries,” police told the Associated Press. Paramedics reportedly confirmed his death immediately.
The singer said he was having a “lovely day” in a since-deleted post on Snapchat just hours before his death.
His fatal fall also came just two days after his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, flew home to Florida after staying in Argentina for two weeks with him.
Learn about Cassidy and Payne’s relationship below.
December 2022: red carpet official
After sparking dating rumors when they were photographed enjoying a Halloween celebration together in October 2022, Payne and Cassidy went red carpet official at the British Fashion Awards.
He looked dapper in a black suit while Cassidy rocked a black dress that featured a thigh-high slit and bold cutouts in the chest and upper torso areas.
January 2023: Instagram official
Cassidy made things with the “Strip That Down” singer Instagram official when she shared a slideshow of images from a night out together in January 2023.
Payne dressed smartly in a black button-down, while she turned up the heat in a cleavage-heavy green dress.
She captioned the post with a simple green heart.
March 2023: Supporting the boys
Cassidy arrived at the London premiere of Louis Tomlinson’s “All of Those Voices” documentary in March 2023 with Payne by her side.
She raved about meeting Payne’s “best friend” Tomlinson for the first time in the caption of an Instagram post she shared following the event.
“I’m so glad I got to share those moments with you watching your best friend, even the tearful ones,” she penned in the caption. “@louist91 well done on such a beautiful film that everybody will love🤍.”
Payne also helped Cassidy ring in her 24th birthday that month at London’s Chiltern Firehouse restaurant.
May 2023: Split rumors
Both the Daily Mail and the Sun reported on May 10, 2023 that Cassidy and Payne had called it quits.
“There was no big row or anything – it just ran its course and they both mutually decided to go their separate ways,” the Sun’s source alleged.
However, the pair shut down breakup chatter in June 2023 when they attended private nightclub Annabel’s 60th anniversary party together. They left hand-in-hand.
Payne and Cassidy showed their relationship was going strong nearly a year later when they held hands as they stepped out in Paris in March 2024.
August 2024: Cassidy defends her man
Cassidy stuck up for Payne in August 2024 after fans got upset when he joked she was “covered up for once” in a TikTok video in which they showed off their dinner date outfits.
She posted a TikTok following the backlash against Payne to explain that the former “X Factor” contestant is not “misogynistic.”
She claimed the comment was her idea because she doesn’t normally “cover up too much.”
“I kind of just wear what I want and he doesn’t care at all,” she added.
September 2024: Wedding guests
Payne and Cassidy were back in Paris for a wedding in September 2024.
She wore a cheerful yellow long-sleeved gown for the special occasion, while Payne dressed in a classic black suit.
They appeared to be in great spirits together as they danced to a trending sound on TikTok ahead of the ceremony.
October 2024: Argentina trip
Cassidy and Payne traveled to Argentina in early October and spent two weeks together — despite the trip originally being scheduled to last five days.
Payne only showed up in a handful of his girlfriend’s TikToks, which consisted of several food hauls and outfit videos.
She also took fans on their bowling date and trip to see Niall Horan perform at the Movistar Arena in the Argentine capital via TikTok.
Ahead of the show, Payne candidly tweeted that he was hoping to reconcile with his former bandmate.
“It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple things with the boy,” he noted.
It’s unclear if the pair had a heart-to-heart, but they definitely met up, as there are smiling selfies to prove it.
On Oct. 14, Cassidy shared a vlog of herself traveling back to Florida from Argentina. Payne died two days later.
