Kate Cassidy
Appearances
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He showed me that it's not, don't let people's opinions get to you. It doesn't matter. It's always going to be behind a computer screen and it shouldn't let it affect your day or your life. And I completely agree with that. And I try, you know, I try to have the thickest, strongest skin, but I will say sometimes like one negative comment will weigh out 10 positive comments.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
no matter how strong you are, you see that one really negative comment, but then you see 10 really kind, beautiful comments on top of that. The only one you're going to think about all of that day is the one negative one. You're not going to think about like the kind ones.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
That was definitely all Liam for me. He almost like guided me into this way. He just built me up. He made me feel like this amazing human. And this, he grew up in the limelight of fame since the young age of 14, 15 years old. So he's had over at the time, you know, almost 15 years of experience of this. And he just completely always said, you're going to get hate no matter what.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
You're going to get negativity. It doesn't matter what you do. He just always said, and I would see it because people wouldn't always be so nice to him. And I would see him just brushing it off. And he really, you know, sometimes I could see that one comment that would get to him, but barely, he would just brush it off and just, who cares?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And he really taught me that it's not important, this one comment. And he really did train me in a way to realize that life is more than that and not to let one negative comment affect your entire day or your life. Yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And to focus on the good things, focus on the positivity from it, not the negativity.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think a lot of the negativity, and it always comes with fame, like I said before, but he would just... Almost it got to a point where a lot of the things that he would do, he was getting this negativity brought towards him. And it was just so uncalled for. And it's just so mean and ridiculing and cyberbullying. And he could be...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
out somewhere wearing something and people would say he's trying too hard or he could post something and people would say oh like you know he thinks he's all that just such mean things that and like I said before he was the most humble person you know and that's how I would say to him too like these people are just behind a computer screen don't let this affect you and he didn't need to hear that from me I mean he's been dealing with this 15 years but yeah he just for
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
pretty much anything that he did, he was living under this microscope. People would love it. People would hate it. He would wear something specific and people would say, oh my God, he's dressed great. But then people would be like, what the hell is he wearing? He looks so whatever. And anything he did pretty much, he'd get that mixture of love and hate.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I think that's with a lot of people that are living in the limelight. I think no matter what they do, we'll get that mixture of love and hate. No matter what, it doesn't matter who you are, what you do, they will always get that. But I think he did such a good job of, being able to just push that negativity aside and just focus on the good and the positivity.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I mean, he was so talented and he knew that and he knew that and he should know that and just not let those comments, those hurtful comments ruin his day because there's no point.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He's been pretty open about his mental health, and I think it's something he struggled with for definitely a good amount of time, even before we were together. It was no secret. And I think that, you know, with mental health and addiction, it really is... You just never really know what way it's going to go. And it's just a flip that can switch.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think that for him, yeah, he experienced struggles with mental health for years before dating me as well. And I think that he did struggle with addiction. And I think, again, he was pretty open about that. And like I said, with mental health, it's kind of the same thing where it's like... addiction is something where obviously you don't want to have that addiction.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And it's something, you know, if he could have chose to just be sober the rest of his life, he would have been. It's just something that... I, at first, I think didn't fully understand. I don't have addiction that runs in my family. I didn't really understand it at first. So to be completely honest, I think in the beginning of our relationship, when he was struggling a little bit,
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think that I remember just kind of being like in my head, like, well, can't you just not do that? But it's not that easy. It's not easy at all. And they don't want, an addict doesn't want to do that. He doesn't want to pick up a drink. He doesn't want to take a certain substance. Like they don't want to do that, but they...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
it's almost like their brain is wired to pick up that beer, to do that thing. And that's when I started to realize like, this addiction is a serious thing.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think it was, I finally realized, you know, that this is something he did not choose, you know, something that he does not want to choose. When he would, like I said prior, it's, we would have the best day. We would have such a great day. And then later on that night, it was just something would just tick in his brain where he couldn't help himself.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I think that's a huge factor with addiction in our relationship. Yeah. balance was definitely a huge key. I really tried to do what I could to help him and better him and distract his mind. For me, I'm really not a home buddy at all. And Liam was a home buddy and that's okay. But for me, I didn't want to be at home from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And one thing I remember closer to the was that I remember Liam would always order us coffee from Starbucks on Uber Eats every morning. And I eventually said to him, I was like, this is before I got my, you know, I was able to drive and learn how to drive on the other side of the road in England, as you know. And I remember saying to him, I was like, you know, you have a car.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Why don't we just go out and grab a coffee? Like, why do we have to order one every single morning from Starbucks? And He just would always say, I just, I don't really want to get out of bed. I don't want to get out of bed yet. I just want to have like a lazy morning and then we'll go do something later on.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And for me, I prefer to actually wake up early, go grab a cup of coffee, go on a Starbucks drive-thru, sit on the drive-thru. I know it's something so small, but it makes my day feel 10 times more productive. Just getting out of bed rather than sitting in your bed and waiting for a coffee to show up right at your doorstep.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So for me, I think balance was a huge key factor in helping Liam with his mental health. You know, I tried to make sure that we weren't busy 24-7 because he wouldn't have liked that. That's like him trying to keep me at home 24-7. I wouldn't have liked that. So I think a balance was great. You know, some nights we would...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
go out to a nice dinner and then go watch a movie after and then play mini golf or something or go bowling and then come home. But then other nights we would cook dinner at home, watch a movie at home in bed and then play Wii bowling.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
You know, like we didn't have to be out all the time, but I think balance is so good, especially when you do struggle with mental health to help get that person kind of out of their shell and out of the house. And that's something that I really tried to And some days, he wouldn't really want to leave the house. And I would just kind of say to him, come on, we're getting out of the house.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
The day I left Argentina was the last day I was able to touch Liam, to hug Liam. In that moment, I still didn't believe it to be true. I was supposed to be trying on my wedding dress. I wasn't supposed to be wearing a black dress.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I found this cool museum. We're going to go here. And just at the end of the day, everything that we did, we never regretted because I knew in a way we succeeded the day. I got him through his mental health that day. I got him out of that headspace.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I remember in Greece a couple months ago before Liam passed away, we were in Greece and he was posting on his Snapchat and he was having one of those days where he woke up and he wasn't in the best headspace. And I said to him, all right, get dressed. We're going to the beach. We're in Greece. It's 80 degree, 90 degree weather. Why are we in the hotel room? We're going to the beach.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He didn't want to go to the beach. He said to me, I don't want to. I want to stay in the hotel room. And I remember saying to him, no, we're going to the beach. It's a five minute walk. And then if you want to come back to the hotel room, we'll come back to the hotel room after. Let's just get out for even 30 minutes. Let's go. So we go to the beach and he's posting these Snapchat stories.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And in a way, he's kind of joking. He's posting these videos and... pictures, he's kind of joking saying like, you know, my girlfriend dragged me to the beach. I don't want to be here. But part of him was being serious. And I remember when he put that out, I was, I actually, the next day received a lot of hate from that because the fan base don't know what goes on behind closed doors. So
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And they took it as in, I forced Liam out of the house. I forced him to do things he doesn't want to do. Like he didn't want to go to the beach, but his girlfriend's dragging him to the beach. But I just did it to help better his headspace that day. And at the end of the day, we had a great time at the beach. We did. And we ended up getting lunch after.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
We made a whole day out of it instead of just sitting in the hotel room all day. And once again, I knew that day we succeeded. It was at times a lot for me. And I... I'm not a professional. I never was. And I am so young, and I was so young at the time. And I really just tried to do everything that I could.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I think one thing that people need to realize is that you cannot fix somebody, and you cannot cure somebody. They could really only do it themselves. Um, I think that's one thing back to what I was saying earlier that I just kind of was like, why can, you know, why does he have to do this? Like, can't he just stop or, oh, I'm going to run in and be the big hero.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He's going to, you know, he's going to, I'm going to save the day. But at the end of the day, you cannot cure somebody, but you can, you can help them. You can support them through their better days, their worst days always, but you can't cure somebody. And I think that's one thing that a lot of people don't realize in addiction that you and mental health, you can't cure somebody. Yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
One thing that really helps me day to day is reading letters that Liam has left me.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Exactly. You couldn't have worded it better, yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah. And I think something like that too, you have to, in order to help and care for somebody else, you have to not forget to care about yourself. And that's one thing I think I at times was kind of forgetting to do, or, you know, a lot of people could probably relate to that if they're in a similar situation and you have to be able to care and better yourself as well.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
You can't just let yourself forget about yourself. You need to make sure that you care about yourself as well. And that other person, of course, both.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It was more so positive than it was negative. I think he made, like you said before, a lot of, he would take five steps forwards and then three steps backwards. It would be kind of one of those things. He was a very strong, strong person.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So he had a strong mindset where he could really, he could better himself at times, but it's just that flip, that switch that just flips where you wake up one morning and it's almost like he doesn't have a choice, but he feels a certain type of way.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I was in Florida and it was about three days after I got back from Argentina. I was in the house alone with our dog, Nala, and I... I remember just being on the couch. I feel like that whole day was kind of a blur for me. Well, not the day, but that moment in time. I was on the couch and I got a phone call from one of Liam's friends. And he called me and said, is Liam okay?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I heard he fell from a balcony. And I said, what? That must be a rumor. I was like, that's not true at all. Like, there's no way. This isn't true. And when his friend first called me too, he didn't mention anything about death. So the first thing that went to my mind was either it was a rumor, just something for clickbait, or he fell off a balcony and he broke a rib. Like, he's okay.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So I'm making all these phone calls and nobody's answering anything. The call. And eventually I call the friend back. At this point, I'm like starting to freak out. But I didn't think the worst. So I'm not even like...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
panicking too too much and I'm starting to get a little bit panicky I call his friend back and I say um have you heard any updates I'm really confused like what's going on and he was like the only update I've heard is that Liam's Liam's um Liam's dead and um in that moment I'm I, in that moment, I still didn't believe it to be true.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
There was just no way, but there was just that one little part of me in the back of my head that was like, why would somebody make this up? You know? I'm just starting to panic at this point. At this point, I'm thinking of, okay, this, this must be true. And I'm pacing around the house. I couldn't even sit still.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Like I was genuinely, there was like sweat dripping down me and I've never experienced that before. And I was just, I just, I couldn't stop fidgeting with my hands. I couldn't be on my phone at this point. My phone was getting blown up.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So this news, whether it be this rumor that wasn't true, because I didn't have confirmation yet, or this true news that I just found out two minutes ago, my phone was completely getting blown up by my friends, my family, people that I haven't spoken to in years. I was getting missed calls from. And I'm just staring at my phone and I'm like,
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
not even looking at my messages, but just, I knew exactly what these calls were for. I'm, I'm pacing around the house, freaking out. Um, and eventually his friend called me back and he said that Liam's not here anymore and he's not, he's, he's dead and he fell to his death. And I, I still, I still didn't really believe it. I, I kept saying, no, no, no. Are you sure? He broke a bone.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He broke a rib. He broke something. He's not dead. He's not dead. There's no way he's dead. There's no way. And his friend said, he's dead. He was like, I can't really talk for... I can't talk. I just need to let you know the news. I'll call you back later. And at this point, I just lost it. I...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I just, even talking about it, it brings all these emotions back where it's just still doesn't even feel true. Talking about it, sometimes I can talk about it without crying. And then other times I can't really even speak because it's just so, the way that I found out, it's just something that I never would have thought would have happened. And I'm sitting in my house. I'm all alone with my dog.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I didn't want to be on my phone because like I said, it was getting blown up. our housekeeper pulled in the driveway and our housekeeper left earlier that day and she she you know I We got along really well, and I guess as soon as she pulled in the driveway, I looked out the front door. I saw a car pull in the driveway.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
She put in the garage code, ran in the house, and just literally fell on the ground and just hugged me and just said, I am so sorry. I just got home. The first thing I did, I put on the news, and it was the first thing after getting back from work.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
your house and it was just me and her and she was so comforting and brought me water brought me tissues and eventually this is when all of my my friends came over um to support me obviously my mom and dad are in new jersey so my mom got on a flight the next day three of my best friends from uh childhood all got on a flight the next day all flew down to be with me it was hard and it just it just still it was just something i never thought i would ever get that phone call
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think 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. And it brings me pain because I can't fully still process that that day was 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.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
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 and I had a later on evening flight. And me and Liam had this
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
almost, I don't even know what other word to describe it, but we had this clinginess to us where even how we met, we kind of just met instant spark and our relationship moved very quickly. And some people might say it's too quick. People are going to say what they want to say, but I would never change anything about it.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And 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. 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.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And 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 and I just kept going on and on and on about how much I love him and how much he means to 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.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
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 my country. It was just... all these new beginnings. And it was in just such a positive light. So I remember sitting there with him and I was going on and on and on and saying to Liam how much I love him.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
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. I just laughed back. I was just like, I know I'm being silly. I need to get in the car. I can't miss my flight. Just to even look back in time and just know that really was the last time.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
The last time I was able to see him again is just so chilling. 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.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
If it was just, if I just said, all right, I'll see you in a couple of days, like, love you. I'm so glad that we had that last beautiful moment together and shared that.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Thanks for having me. I think that's the hardest question to answer. There's really no right answer to that. I think the best thing I can say to that is I'm doing okay. I have my harder days and I have my better days. I think each day, it doesn't get so much better, but each day I'm just...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think my first thought definitely was yes, to get on a flight to Argentina. But then after all of my friends and my mom came to Florida, I just realized there would be no point. And it's just better to not be in a foreign country. I don't know anybody in Argentina. I don't have family or friends there. So just to be...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
in a home where I feel comfortable being and being surrounded by such a great support system is just going to be so much better for my mental health. I knew, of course, if I had to be there, I would have been there, but there was almost no point in me going there.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think obviously being in Florida for those couple of days after finding out the news and then being in England was definitely where I needed to be, was being in England.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It was a mixture of this numbness where I didn't sleep at all that night. The first night I couldn't sleep at all. I remember just because of also the time difference and obviously England, I was just on the phone back and forth with a lot of family and friends in England. My friends who were with me stayed up all night with me. I don't think any of us could sleep.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I mean, Liam was even, you know, he made such an effort with my friends and they looked at Liam as a friend as well. So we all lost. They lost a friend. I lost. the love of my life. I remember one thing my friends immediately, they said to me after obviously the news, the first night they basically took my phone and deleted social media. They were like, don't redownload this.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
You don't want to see anything because there were a lot of, um, images and things that were coming out on the web that they were protecting me that I shouldn't have seen. So I didn't have social media for a couple of days, honestly, maybe three days, which is no time at all. And I'm ashamed to even say that I redownloaded TikTok, I think after three days, it was everywhere in the media.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It was, you know, I would just scroll on TikTok and it was my entire video after video, Liam and Just, I think the videos of seeing him happy and with a smile and just good memories and good moments made me more sad because I realized, like, he's never going to smile again. And he's never, it's just an end to creating memories. any future memories. It was harder for me to see those videos.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
trying my best and I think even just trying my best makes me feel that little bit better this has just been such a roller coaster of emotions and I'm really just really trying my best I don't like I said that's the hardest question to really put into words to answer
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
But yeah, the morning after was just numb. I think with grief, it comes in so many different emotions. I've never lost anybody extremely close to me. I've never been to a funeral before. And the fact that I'm 25 years old and the first funeral that I have to attend is my partner's funeral just still doesn't sit right with me. And it's just... mind boggling to even think that.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I remember what I was trying on my funeral dress. I remember just trying it on, looking in the mirror. And I just remember thinking in my head, I just started bawling because I was like, I was supposed to be trying on my wedding dress. I wasn't supposed to be wearing a black dress. I was supposed to be wearing a white dress and Liam was supposed to be here with me, you know?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So it was really hard to accept this reality of knowing he's not here anymore.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I mean, for me, I think that most couples, of course, why would you be with somebody if you don't expect to have a future with them? It's something we definitely spoke about and something that we knew when the time was right that we wanted to develop and build this life together. And I think we were really on our way of doing that by moving to America. getting this new house.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I was starting to think of buying some new decorations and all these things and having a dog. And we were just kind of on our way there. And to have that ripped from you is just in one day. I mean, you really never know what tomorrow will bring. And I think ever since October 16th, I live in a fear of, I don't know what tomorrow will bring ever.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
But everything just got completely ripped away from me in that one day.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think at the end of the day, you need to listen and trust your heart because grief comes in so many waves, so many different emotions. You're going to wake up. You're going to feel numb. You're going to wake up. You're going to feel sad. You're going to feel angry.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
You're going to feel one day you're going to wake up and you're going to laugh and you're going to just think of good moments you had. And then you're going to find yourself just this laugh turning into this hysterical cry. And I think that grief is something that you never know what to expect and And it hits everybody so differently.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So I think the best, you know, some advice that I would give, just some general advice would be to always trust your gut. Some things for me might not work for other people. I think keeping a consistent, of course, schedule routine. And I'm not saying waking up in the morning from 9 a.m., having a strategic plan throughout the day, and then not getting home until 8 p.m. Of course not.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Your mind needs time to rest and think and heal. But even just if you take one activity per day, it could just be walking, baking, going to the gym, going to applies class. Just any type of small thing, it just helps so much with your headspace. But I think for me, one thing that really has helped me so much and that makes me feel so full of light and love is seeing signs. And I...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
See so many signs of Liam and I'm such a believer in signs. I believe in manifesting and I know that he's with me and I feel him all the time. And I remember at first when he passed away, I didn't feel him for, I'd say the first five days. And I know that's not a long amount of time, but obviously five days when you're not with somebody after being with them 24 seven, it feels like, five years.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So I remember getting kind of angry and just being like, talking to Liam, just saying, why haven't you shown me any signs? And I remember one day, it was before I flew out to England. So I was still in our house in Florida. I sat on the floor of his closet and I started crying hysterically and I was so angry with him. I said, show me a sign. This is so unfair. Like, are you here with me?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Show me a sign. And this is a stage of grief that also I want people to know it's okay to be angry and it's okay to cry and it's okay to say things. It's okay. And I was crying and I was just saying, I'm so disappointed. I love you so much, but I need you to show me a sign because I don't feel you. And I remember I went back downstairs and it's just, it was such a simple thing.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
But my friends asked me, do you want anything from McDonald's? And at this point, it was so hard for me to even hold down food. I was barely eating. And for me, me and Liam, we loved McDonald's. It was something that we would probably get like twice a week, which I know is not the healthiest option. It was just a part of like, just kind of our childlike things to do.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And we would always get the Happy Meal toy. We always would get the Happy Meal toy. It was always also Liam's idea to do that. He was such a kid at heart and he would always get the Happy Meals toy. And I... said to my friends, you know what? Get me a kid's meal. I'm not even hungry.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I really don't want to eat, but I'll try to, I'll try to eat something, but I just want to see what the happy meal toy is. I really just, I want to see what it is. So they came back, they brought me the, the happy meal and it came in this like, because it was around Halloween, it came in this trick or treat bin instead of the cardboard McDonald's like happy meal box. And I remember I
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
when they gave it to me, I was, I was annoyed because I was like, this is the Happy Meal toy. I thought I was going to get like a little cute thing that maybe would have been a symbol of Liam or something that Liam would have liked or something like cute that could just make me feel a little lifted. I was just, my head was everywhere.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Just even thinking that I could get any sort of positivity and light from a Happy Meal kids meal toy. That was just where my headspace was. And I was so angry. I didn't get any type of toy. I just got a trick or treat bin that obviously I'm not going trick or treating. So then I opened the lid to try to eat some of the food. And I noticed there's this maze on the back of the lid.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And it was kind of one of those mazes where it's like, count how many black cats, count how many ghosts, count how many pumpkins you can find. And I obviously, I didn't try to even do the maze. Why would I? And on the back of it, it said the answers in small little letters. So you can, I guess, match it up to see if you won the puzzle.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And our angel numbers have always been four, any sequence of four. And the answers on the back of it were four, four, four. And that was immediately the first answer. sign I got from Liam. And the number four symbolizes guidance and support from your angels. And this has been such a big part of our relationship. I mean, he had the number four initialed on his finger.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I ended up getting it after he passed away. And I think that four was such a big part of our, every single letter he's written me, he has ended it with your 444. It It's just, it was always our thing. So the fact that I got these, this happy meal toy and the answer said four for four, that was Liam listening to me. And he was giving me a sign saying, I know I am here. I am here. You're not alone.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Like I am here. And it made me feel so just my, I just lit up. I remember. And I still, I still kept the little map. I have it folded up and it's in my bedside drawer.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah, I have. And I see so many signs. And I came to LA, obviously to be here. I came to LA and I've never been to LA without Liam before. I've only been with Liam. We've went a handful of times together and we've created so many memories here. And when I landed in LA, I felt like part of me was missing. I just even getting on the plane, just sitting alone not next to Liam just felt so wrong.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Everything that I do, I'm missing Liam. I'm thinking of Liam, but being in this city that I love and I have this connection with LA, I love it so much. Without the person that I love who brought me here and showed me around LA and introduced me to this wonderful city, it just felt so empty. I think on my second or third night here,
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It's been just, like I said, a roller coaster and you give this such a sense of comfort. And I do want to be able to use my voice and be able to share my story as this has impacted me so much and changed my life forever. And you give this sense of comfort and sincerity that I genuinely feel like I would be just, you know, and I am so comfortable speaking and sharing my story with you.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I mean, my friend went to a basketball game and we were on our way to the basketball game. We were in an Uber and everywhere we were just seeing fours everywhere on license plates. We were seeing it on billboards, phone numbers, like on billboards, everywhere, just the number four. And then we get into the basketball game. We go into a suite and...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Every suite's like, I'm assuming decorated differently. That's normally how it is. It has like a different type of interior design, especially at this arena. And we walk in and the wallpaper is the exact same wallpaper as me and Liam's bathroom wallpaper in England. And it's so unique. I've never seen a wallpaper like this before. It's lion heads with this floral design.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It's something that's not just a color or not this sort of design that you would see shopping for, you know, a painting at, TJ Maxx. It's just this design that I've never seen before moving into this house in London with Liam. And the fact that that was in the suite, I immediately, that's the first thing. I walked into the suite and I just stopped. I turned to my friend and I said...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
This is the same wallpaper that me and Liam had in our bathroom in London. And then we leave the basketball game. At this point, it's kind of late and we just want to get some food in us. So we go to this quick little restaurant for a bite to eat. We were the only ones in the restaurant because I think their kitchen was about to close within five minutes.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
We walk into the restaurant and the song that's playing as we're walking in is Night Changes by One Direction. And the first place my eyes go to is the TV screen behind...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
the booths and it was Liam on the screen they were playing the music video and it was just three side three big signs in a row being here in LA and I just knew Liam was with me that night and Liam was there at that basketball game with us Liam was there that night eating tacos with us he was there with us and seeing those signs make me feel so much more connected and close to him and that I know he's here and he's listening to me and he's he's far but he's not too far
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And if there's any opportunity and chance for me to help other people that are dealing with grief, mental health, anything like that. I really want to be able to be able to help. And even though right now I'm not, I'm not an expert.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I don't think anybody can really be an expert at that, but I'm going through this day by day and I'm teaching and learning, you know, teaching myself how to better myself. And I think if there's, if I could give anybody advice and help other people, then I would love to be able to be able to do that.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think the hardest thing that this is, of course, brought me is this loneliness feeling. And you go from being with somebody 24-7 to knowing and facing the reality that you're never going to see this person again in this life. And that for me is something that I still just cannot fully process in my mind. And I think that... is always in the back of my mind.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think going places to... Everything reminds me of Liam. I could be having a specific coffee flavor from Starbucks and I'm just thinking, Liam, love this coffee. I bring up Liam in almost every conversation I have. Because everything reminds me of him, and at the end of the day, I'm thinking about him every second of every single day.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I could be having a full-blown conversation with somebody about something completely off-topic, something just completely not involving me, involving Liam, and always in the back of my head, I'm just thinking, Liam, Liam, Liam.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And then even some of the things that I don't connect with with Liam, things that we haven't done, memories that we haven't made yet or moments that we haven't shared together remind me of him because I'll think to myself, Liam would have loved this or I wish Liam was able to experience this or I wish we were able to try this together. So everything reminds me of him in one way or another.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
One thing that really helps me day to day is reading letters that Liam has left me. And I think in today's generation, it's not as common to leave letters. And I'm not talking just about birthday letters or birthday card or Christmas card, just letters that are heartfelt and that in the moment you want to surprise and leave your loved one this letter.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And throughout me and Liam's relationship, he has written me. I mean, he was a songwriter. He was so good with his words. He was almost like a poet in a way. And 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.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And we could be at a diner and he'll write me a small little, I love you on a napkin and I'll fold it up and put it in my purse. I keep everything that he's given me. And honestly, if it weren't for these notes and letters that he's written me, I don't even know where my headspace would really be at.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Because I think when you're reading a letter in somebody else's handwriting, you genuinely, when you're reading it to yourself, in your mind, you hear this person. You hear his voice. And it's just this connection that means so much more than something on text or a compliment in person. And that's so important too, of course. But... It's something about just a letter just speaks so much volume.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It just means so much.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
This letter was more towards the beginning of our relationship. Another part of his love language was to give gifts and sentimental gifts that would last a lifetime. Something that maybe even I could pass down to my future children. And any single gift he's given me always comes with a card or a letter. And this letter here says...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
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.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
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 talk this watch makes, from this second onwards, I f***ing love you with all my heart, Keelan, and I won't lose you.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I read this note so often and I look down and I... Just like he... You know, he wants me to look down at my wrist and remember him. And, you know, it's not in the way that we thought. But this... This watch is so special. And even the way he gave me this watch, I remember he came home one day and he said, I got you a gift. And I said, you didn't have to. Okay, that's so kind. What is it?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And Liam would always bring me gifts and they weren't always these luxurious items. Sometimes he'd bring me McDonald's Happy Meal toy that he got earlier that day after work, or he would bring me a coffee or just a card or a note or flowers. It was always something different. And he said, you're going to have to go find it. It's in the backyard. And I was like, what do you mean?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He was like, I just thought we'd make fun out of it. I want you to remember this gift. So I hid it in the backyard. We're going to have a scavenger hunt. And I'm just in the backyard running around everywhere. And he's kind of just saying, warmer, colder. And finally, I look behind this chair bench thing we had in our backyard. And I see this box and this card on top of it.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And every gift he's given me has a story to it. And I think that's something that's so important too. And so important with me too. I have not only these cards that I can read, but these gifts.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
small or big doesn't matter that I they each have a story and a memory to it they're not they weren't just given to me like oh I picked this up today I thought of you thought you'd like it okay I'm gonna go shower now the every single thing he's given me has such a story behind it and I'll cherish this watch for the rest of my life and everything he's given me thank you for sharing that with us and letting us into you know the beautiful love that you both shared and
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So grew up in New Jersey. I actually am half British. My mom's from England. So I do have a ton of family in England. Where in England? She grew up in a town called Edmonton. I'm not too familiar.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think I just would have loved for Liam to know how loved he really was. And I think he knew that to an extent, but with any type of criticism he was receiving, he didn't have that validation of knowing how much of an impact and how much the world loved him. And loves him still every single day for the rest of his life. I mean, Liam is going to be spoken about forever.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He made such a mark on people's lives and impacted so many. And I really do wish he was here to see the love and support he's received from everybody worldwide, because it's, it's really nothing but beautiful. And the memorials that people have put together, the tributes, and it's just, he deserved it. And as time goes by, he's going to get this recognition and this love and support. And I,
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
couldn't be more proud of him. And I do wish he was here to be able to see the tremendous legacy that he's left behind. And it's something he deserves. And I think this is just another message to be kind to people, especially online. And it's one thing, people weren't always so kind to Liam. And especially, like I said before, with so many other celebrities, so many people aren't kind online.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Really?
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
But then when something tragic like this happens, everyone turns and everyone just sits there and talks about the good. And he deserves only to be spoken in such a highly positive matter. This should be just a message to just be kind. And we're never going to live in a world where people are always going to be kind.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Yeah, I do have some family in England on my mom's side. Grew up in New Jersey. After I graduated high school, I kind of immediately moved out of the house pretty much. I went to a college in South Carolina called Coastal Carolina University. Graduated there after four years. Moved to Charleston, South Carolina.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
There's always going to be that one out of 10 comments or three out of 10 comments that are going to be hateful always. And it's something we can't control. But I think the fact that we can't control that, then why are we letting it get to us so much? We can't control what people's opinions are, what people think. We can't control it. So there's no point in letting that ruin your day.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
If he saw all of this, I think he would feel just so grateful. And he would just know. That would just be his confirmation of how important he was in this life. And I mean, to me, he was the most important person in my life. To so many, he was. But he just maybe didn't fully feel that confirmation. I'm not sure. But if he saw this, he would have that confirmation of...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
wow, I really left this legacy. I impacted so many people's lives and that's what he would want. And that's, he would just be, he would be proud of himself, but he would be right now, if he was able to see everything, he'd be so proud.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think, just like you said, I think that when you do lose somebody so close to you, you do lose a part of yourself. And I do feel like I lost half of me. And if Liam were here, he would want me to be strong. He would want me to be brave and do things that make me happy and do things to honor his legacy and honor his name and to help other people.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I think for me, one of the things I just keep thinking about is... what else can I lose in life now when I already lost the best thing in my life? Like what more is there to lose? Like how could it get worse? So in my mind, it's like, take the risk, do things, be brave, be strong. Don't lay in bed all day. Get out of bed, live your life. And I have to live my life for Liam because I'm 25.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He would never want me to be in bed all day, depressed. And I have those days. Don't get me wrong. I'm sad all the time, but I'm happy sometimes because I just think about all the memories we have. And there was like, there's never going to be a love in my life that Liam was one of a kind. The love that we experienced is going to be one of a kind.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I'm never going to experience that type of love again in the future. Whatever is meant for me, it's going to be so different than what I experienced with Liam. And that's something that, you know, I'm so, I wouldn't change any part of it and I don't regret anything. And it's something that it's like out of a movie and I, I love him so much and I will continue to for the rest of my life.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think after college, I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do with work or with even my life. I think it was still kind of that... I went to college. I had such a great experience. I met so many great people. I'm so glad I have a degree. And I didn't know, though, what I wanted to do. Some people obviously go to college for law school, medical school. They kind of know what path they're taking.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I just think that for me, just doing things that make me happy and that I know would make him happy. I'm just trying to do those things and be strong and just realize that life's short and take the risks, take the opportunities, take, do what makes you happy because you don't have much to lose.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Thank you for having me. And I think opening up and talking about it really, really helps me with my grief. This conversation has really just done a lot for me. I feel before walking into this room, it's sometimes hard for me to talk about it.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
But I think leaving this room, I'm going to feel just addressing the good memories about Liam and just thinking about those, putting them out there to share with you, to share with your viewers. I think it's just so important and it's made me feel so much better. So thank you for having me.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I kind of went to college just saying, OK, I know at some point it's going to click. I know what I want to do. But I still didn't really understand what I wanted to do in life. So moved to Charleston with a bunch of my friends. My friends were all kind of in the same boat too. We were all just kind of like, all right, let's just take one day at a time. We all graduated college.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
We're all kind of almost in a way like lost. We don't know what to do. College is over. Now what? Now it's like the real life, the real big girl life. And moved to Charleston altogether. And... Took some time there just to focus on myself. And I ended up a couple months later getting this waitressing job at this restaurant, lounge, bar place.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And that's where on my second week of working, I met Liam. And that day has changed my life forever. And it was... you know, I'm such a believer in everything happens for a reason. And it's, I've talked about this previously in the past, but it's very, it's just so weird how sometimes the dots all connect because I tried so hard to get off work already my second week.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I told my friend, cause my friend was the one who owned the restaurant. And I told her, I honestly want to, I wanted to balance my social life with work life. So I just said to her, I want to work every other weekend. Cause it was only a weekend shifts. It was Thursday to Sunday. So I told her I want to work every other weekend. And then week two came about and she put my name on the schedule.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I remember calling her and I was like, wait, I thought I wasn't working back to back weekends. And she was like, we really need you. Like, it's just our second week of opening. It was brand new. I tried so hard to get off and I was like, you know what? Okay, fine. So I went in and I met Liam that same night. And it's just crazy because if I did get off that night, I never would have met him.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So yeah, met him that night. I was his server and it all started from there.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I think a woman always has a strong intuition. And I think for me, I was a One Direction fan. And specifically Liam, I remember even a couple years ago, like a fan dug up this old Facebook post and it was of me from like 2010. And it was, I think it said, like for Zane, comment for Liam. And I commented on my own post, Liam with an exclamation point.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I really just feel like even the way that me and Liam met I just think that the fact that it was my second week of work, Liam is in town in this kind of random city, just randomly. And that, you know, I tried to get off work and I happened to be his server. And then we just clicked immediately. And just the fact that even...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I have all this background and I'm familiar with England, with London, and we just hit it off the bat immediately. And I really do believe that people are meant to meet in this life. And I do believe that we were like soul connections. We had that connection because instantly, as soon as we started talking, we had this connection where it was just so easy. I mean, I'm not going to lie.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Of course, I was nervous. I was a fan. So I, of course, was so nervous to meet him. I remember walking up to his table. My heart was pounding and I was kind of just like... what am I doing? This is terrifying. Hi, I'm Kate. Nice to meet you. It was terrifying. But he was just such a humble, kind person. You would never even know that he was this huge worldwide pop star. You would never know.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And he just had this sort of spark to him. And he was just so kind, just so humble, so different than anybody I've ever met. And just immediately, it was just like, just a spark that we were just a conversation just flowed so easily. And it's just, but I didn't think of course that, oh, conversation's going great. I'm going to have a future with this man.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I didn't think anything about, I just thought this guy's really great. I, this is so cool to meet him. I had his posters on my wall when I was 10 years old. I, you know, drew photos of him when I was 10 years old. So I didn't know it was going to go anywhere. And then obviously it did.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
He did end up extending his flight a couple of days in Charleston. I think he was supposed to leave the following day and he ended up extending it for three nights. So he was there for a couple of days. We spent day and night together immediately, like immediately just clicked so well. We would go to the beach, go to... dinners, lunches. We went bowling. We would do all these Charleston tours.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
We just had this click and it was just so normal, you know? And it was nice. I felt like I was his tour guide. He's never been to Charleston before. I was able to show him around. He's been all over the world to all these different places. And it was like, I was able to show him the one place he hasn't been to. So it kind of gave me that upper hand.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I was like, oh, I feel kind of, this is cool that I'm able to show him these, this new place. And he loved it. He loved Charleston. I ended up going flying out to England to London about like a week later. And once again, just inseparable.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I mean, hit it off where it's like we were obviously I was staying with him, but we just the minute we'd wake up, we would just plan all these things throughout the day to do all these things. And it just felt right is how I would describe it. It was just something that it was so fun. And I could tell like I brought out this light in him where he was just so like He was just happy.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And I think that I saw that in him. And we both brought out this light in each other. I was happy. He showed me this type of fairytale life. And I showed him a sense of normality, which I think is, you know, balance is a key in a lot of relationships. And I think that it was just so...
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
cool to experience so many things I never would have thought I would experience or places I never thought I'd be able to go to in the world that he took me after being with him for two months not even and it's just it was crazy it was insane and I was so grateful and blessed to be able to you know experience that with somebody that I loved and love.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
At first, it was so surreal. I would wake up every day and just, I would even say it to him. I'm not really a shy person. So I would say to him, I can't even believe me and you are together right now. Like I was a fan. I was a fan. I would always say these things to him. It's not like I would run into my closet and like, like scream out of excitement.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I, I was honest with, I just was always, you know, saying to him, I can't even believe it. But I think that it got to a point where it just became so normal and it just felt so normal. Like you just put all that past you and you know, it's still, of course, I would always say to him, you are the coolest person I've ever met in my life. And it's just such an honor to be a part of your life.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It's, he was the best person I've ever met. And I think that one day it just kind of, okay, this is reality. It doesn't, you know, fame doesn't change somebody or, you know, in his, it didn't change him. So it just felt so normal and just felt so right.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
It was amazing. something I've never experienced before in my life, of course. And it was definitely difficult, I'd say, in the beginning. I think also with boy bands and, you know, guy, like male pop stars, I think they have this fan base that, of course, so many girls are so protective over. And I understand that.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
I mean, this was, One Direction was a part of so many, you know, people's childhoods and me being one of those. So I totally understand that. But I think when... we first kind of were spotted out in public. And I think it might've been maybe our first Instagram post together or something. I was just getting flooded with hate.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
Just like you're like, you know, just being the new girlfriend, kind of like this isn't going to last. Who even are you? Where do you come from? Like just nitpicking everything about me, just my appearance down to everything. Just, you know, people would... dig up all these old photos of me from like 2020, you know, and just be like, she looks so different than she looks now, comparing photos.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
And it was just, it was just hard to see that. And Liam, you know, Liam would say to me, like, I'm so, like, he would feel at fault. He'd be like, I feel so bad that you're, that you have to put up with this and deal with this, like this, you know, like if this isn't for you. And I was like, I don't care what people think at all because I love you.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Kate Cassidy EXCLUSIVE: Sharing Her Last Conversation with Liam Payne and The Real Story Behind Their Relationship
So if people think that our relationship is fake or staged, or if they think I wear too much makeup or like look 10 times older, like, or just have, have these little nitpicking opinions about me. Like at the end of the day, nobody knows our relationship like me and Liam. So I never let it get to me. He never let it get to him. And he,