NEWS
It has been reported that Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of the late Liam Payne, has been affected by her decision to leave the singer two days prior to his death.
The solo artist and former One Direction member died on Wednesday (October 16), following a fatal fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Argentine prosecutor’s office has revealed that the 31-year-old’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.
Cassidy previously paid tribute to her boyfriend in an Instagram story in which she wrote: “Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.”
She ended her message by sharing: “Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Now, according to the New York Post, a close friend of Cassidy’s told the publication that her decision to leave Payne in Argentina two days prior to his tragic death has tormented her. “She did what she needed to do at the time. She had no idea what was going to happen. I can tell you that her decision will haunt her for the rest of her life,” the source said.
Cassidy and Payne’s trip to Argentina was supposed to only last for days but the New York Post shared that the ‘Strip That Down’ singer had allegedly kept asking Cassidy to extend the trip, making their stay in the country a total of two weeks before she decided to head home to Miami.
“She wanted to be home in her own bed with her dog. She wanted to come home,” the source told the outlet, adding: “She feels bad. Everyone in her life is saying that it’s not her fault. You can’t babysit a 30-year-old grown man 24/7/365. But she’s not yet in a place to hear that.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Payne reportedly had pink cocaine and several other substances in his system at the time of his fatal balcony fall. Sources told ABC News that results of a partial autopsy showed he had “pink cocaine” – a drug typically made up of a mix of substances including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others – as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system. The report went on to allege that a makeshift aluminium pipe had been recovered from the hotel room he was staying in at the time.
It has been reported that the Buenos Aires police department have raided the CasaSur hotel in search of further evidence.
Payne’s death has triggered conversations about putting more protections in place for young artists, with songwriter Guy Chambers calling on the music industry to stop putting minors in boybands following his passing. Payne was 14 when he first auditioned for the X Factor, and 16 when he became a member of One Direction during the show’s 10th season.
Elsewhere, Sharon Osbourne also accused the music industry of “letting down” Payne, writing in an Instagram post: “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”
Katie Waissel, who competed alongside One Direction on the talent show, has since called for more “care and support for young artists”. Similarly, Rebecca Ferguson, who finished in second place on the same season of the show, paid tribute to Payne while also speaking out against the “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.”
Bruce Springsteen has also said that the music industry puts “enormous pressures on young people” in the wake of Payne’s death, while Victoria Canal shared that, as an artist who feels “desperate” to achieve the success that Payne once had, feels duped by “the promise of what ‘success’ in this industry is.”
A new petition has since been launched, calling for a new law to safeguard the mental well-being of artists in the music industry. The petition has surpassed over 100,000 signatures.
On AHHCade, PNAU are leaning fully into emotion for their upcoming seventh studio album.
“There’s something deeply connected about music and the path we’ve been on,” PNAU’s Nick Littlemore shares while introducing the new project, which is scheduled to arrive July 31 through Sydney independent label etcetc, under the TMRW Music umbrella.
“We’re creating songs from the heart,” he says. “Even though these tracks are built with electronics and technology, at their core they are emotional expressions. Peter, myself and everyone we worked with wanted to create a feeling of home, whether that’s on the dancefloor or inside the listener’s mind.”
The upcoming record includes the recently unveiled “Tu Corazon (Your Heart)” featuring Mexican rock band The Warning, as well as the energetic new track “Nirvana” with EARTHGANG and sadMONTH, which officially dropped today, May 8.
“Nirvana” pairs PNAU with Atlanta duo EARTHGANG and also marks the first collaboration with sadMONTH, the new creative venture from Littlemore alongside Toronto artist Dom Dias.
Littlemore describes the song as “the beginning of an entirely new chapter. It’s intense, chaotic and taps into a future version of punk electronic music. Expect something restless, rhythmic and completely untamed.”
EARTHGANG added: “With ‘Nirvana,’ we locked into this euphoric and elevated energy together with PNAU and rode that electro wave. Huge love to everyone involved in bringing this track to life and making it hit the way it does.”
Representatives for the group have also hinted that additional unexpected collaborations will be revealed in the near future.
PNAU, made up of longtime friends Littlemore and Peter Mayes, are following up their 2024 release Sambanova. Over the years, the duo have built a career filled with major records and industry recognition. Their global breakthrough came after teaming up with Elton John for the 2012 remix album Good Morning to the Night, which reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. They later reunited with Elton for the 2021 remix Cold Heart featuring Dua Lipa, creating one of the biggest worldwide hits of the decade.
To celebrate the release of the new album, PNAU will launch the Australian run of their Nirvana Tour 2026 next month. The East Coast regional dates begin June 19 at Gilligan's in Cairns before finishing July 4 at Woodport Hotel in Erina.
Stream “Nirvana” below.
