Liam Payne's Girlfriend Kate Cassidy Recalls 'Chilling' Final Conversation Six Months After His Death

During an emotional appearance on Wednesday's episode of Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, which marked the sixth-month anniversary of Payne's death, the 26-year-old influencer recalled the last day she and Payne spent together in Argentina, and revealed the last words he said to her.

Payne unexpectedly passed away after fatally falling from his hotel balcony during a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024. The One Direction member was 31, leaving behind young son Bear with ex Cheryl Cole. Payne's death came just a few days after Cassidy, who had traveled to Argentina with Payne, returned home to care for their rescue dog, Nala.

Looking back, Cassidy said her final day with Payne brings her a "mixture of pain and peace,"

"When I think about the last day and the last words that we said to each other, it brings me this mixture of pain and peace," she told Shetty. "It brings me pain because I can't fully still process that that day, the day I left Argentina, was the last day I was able to touch Liam, to hug Liam, to speak to him, to be in the same room as him. But it brings me peace because it was such a beautiful last moment we had together."

"On our last day, we woke up, we had an amazing breakfast, we were in the countryside, we went horseback riding," she continued. "I had a later on evening flight."

Cassidy explained that she and Payne had a "clinginess" to each other in their two years together, and shared that they would have "heartfelt, long" goodbyes even when they were only to be separated for a night or two.

"Me and Liam, we had this almost -- I don't even know what other word to describe it -- but we had this clinginess to us ... even how we met, we kind of just met, instant spark, and our relationship moved very quickly," she said. "And some people might say it's too quick. You know, people are going to say what they want to say. But I would never change anything about it."

"If I even went away for one night to go spend the night at my girlfriend's house, or even go to dinner with my girlfriends, the way me and Liam would say goodbye to each other wasn't  just like, 'Oh, I'll see you later,'" she continued. "Majority of the time, it was this heartfelt, long goodbye for at least five minutes of just hugging, 'I'm going to miss you, I love you.'"

Cassidy then recalled the final goodbye, including Payne's last words, which looking back, are chill-inducing.

"On the last day in Argentina, my car was in the driveway and we went back into the guest house, grabbed my suitcase, and we were sitting on the couch," she told Shetty. "I just kept going on and on and on about how much I love him and how much he means me, and how much I'm going to miss him, and that I can't wait for him to already be back in Florida because we were starting this new chapter of our life. We just bought a new house. We just got a dog. We just moved to America as well. I mean, I was living in England with him for two years. We just moved to, you know, my country. It was just all these new beginnings, and it was in just such a positive light."

She recalled, "I remember sitting there with him, and I was going on and on and on and saying to Liam how much I love him, and he laughed and he interrupted me and he just said, 'Kate, you're going to miss your flight. Your car's in the driveway. You're acting like this is the last time you're ever going to see me again.'"

At the time, Cassidy said she "laughed back" in response, telling Payne, "I know, I'm being silly. I need to get in the car. I can't miss my flight.'"

She continued to reflect on their last conversation.

"Just to even look back in time and just know that really was the last, the last time I was able to see him again, is just so chilling," Cassidy said, "But in a way, I think that the way that we said goodbye to each other, I'm so blessed. And this is where I get that peace from it, that it was that heartfelt, beautiful -- I didn't know of it -- but obviously our last goodbye."

"I wouldn't have wanted it to be any differently," she said, getting choked up. "... I'm so glad that we had that last beautiful moment together and shared that."

Elsewhere on the podcast, Cassidy became emotional as she read a love letter Payne had written her, sharing that he wrote letters and notes to her regularly throughout their relationship.

"One of his love languages was to put his thoughts and words on paper. And he would leave me these notes all around the house. And I have every single note that he's left me, ever since the very beginning to the very end," she said, sharing that the letters have helped her navigate her grief.

She then read a note, she said Payne wrote for her, "towards the beginning of their relationship."

"Another part of his love language was to, you know, give gifts and sentimental gifts that would last a lifetime, something that maybe even I could pass down to my future children,"  Cassidy recalled. "And any single gift he's given me always comes with a card and or a letter."

Reading the letter, Cassidy said, "The reason I picked this watch out for you is because it doesn't have any numbers on it, and my love for you is endless."

"It literally means eternity," she continued, starting to cry. "So now every time you look down at your wrist, you can know and remember that my love for you is timeless. We have all the time in the world to learn our love language for each other, and I hope and pray that I get this right for you with every tick and every tock this watch makes from this second onwards, I love you with all my heart, Katelyn, and I won't lose you. Your 444."

As she wiped away her tears, she told Shetty, "Sorry, it's just sometimes, reading it out loud, it's just so hard to process that. It's, like, we thought we had all this time, and he thought we had all this time, and it was just taken away."

Cassidy -- who was wearing the watch -- called the piece "so special" and something she'll "always cherish."

"Especially ever since he's passed away," she added. "I read this note so often, and I look down ... and just like he wants me to look down at my wrist and remember him."

Cassidy's appearance on the podcast comes a few months after she opened up about the devastating loss in an emotional interview with The Sun.

While speaking with the outlet, Cassidy said that despite Payne's on-and-off struggles with drugs and alcohol, the singer was in "such a good headspace" when she left Argentina prior to his death.

A toxicology report obtained by TMZ following his October death revealed that Payne died from injuries sustained in his fall with alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant in his system.

The singer did not hide his struggles with alcohol and drug use, even sharing he had a 100-day rehab stint in 2023.