Friend of Liam Payne slams singer's girlfriend's AI tribute post one year on from his tragic death

A friend of Liam Payne has slammed the singer's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, after she posted an AI tribute one year on from the One Direction star's death.

Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The singer was in Argentina with Cassidy to support the 31-year-old's old bandmate Niall Horan, whose concert took place on October 2.

Cassidy opted to leave Buenos Aires a week later to return home to Florida, while Payne decided to stay in the South American capital to continue his vacation, when tragedy stuck as he fell from the hotel.

Nearly a year on from Payne's tragic death, Cassidy took to her Instagram Stories to share AI-created images of herself alongside the One Direction member.

One of the images saw the singer holding his partner, who was wearing a pink floral dress.

A friend of Liam Payne has slammed Cassidy (Instagram/@kateecass)

Though some may find it a touching tribute, the post has not gone down with one friend, who has spoken anonymously to the Mirror after Cassidy took to Instagram with the snaps.

The former colleague described the post as 'distasteful' and 'unhelpful', adding: "Who does this? Of course she is fully entitled to remember Liam, but this all feels a bit much. It’s surely triggering for those who loved Liam.

"There is some sympathy for Kate but creating a photo of them together so soon after his death is completely strange and also upsetting for so many who loved Liam."

Speaking further to the Daily Mail, the source added: "His parents are normal people, a normal family who don’t play the fame game, they don’t have time for influencers or TikTokers. They saw what fame did to him and they don’t want any part of it. They will grieve their son for ever, privately."

UNILAD has reached out to Cassidy for comment.

Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy were together for two years (DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

In the months after Payne died, Cassidy detailed how she discovered her partner had been involved in a tragic incident.

“I feel blessed I didn’t find out over social media because I just couldn’t even imagine that. I was in our home with our dog, scrolling TikTok and one of Liam’s friends called me," she told The Sun.

"That moment, it’s like blank; it’s blacked out in my head.

"I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was just a rumour. Or something that somebody made up just to get views. Then instantly I just had a bad feeling in my gut. I was like, ‘Why would somebody make this up? Is this true?’"