Kate Cassidy Confesses: “I F Up” After Boyfriend Breaks Up Over Unbearable Grief for Liam Payne

By Zoe Papadakis | Wednesday, 24 June 2026 01:00 PM EDT

Influencer Kate Cassidy’s latest relationship ended after she repeatedly compared her new boyfriend to her late partner, One Direction member Liam Payne.

In a June 22 TikTok video, Cassidy, 27, said her ex-boyfriend, whom she nicknamed “Joe,” abruptly broke up with her because her ongoing grief became overwhelming.

Cassidy, who had been dating Liam Payne for two years at the time of his death at age 31 in October 2024, admitted that her internal struggles caused the split. She said she found herself getting angry with “Joe,” questioning why his actions did not match how Payne would have behaved.

“He texted me yesterday and told me that we should go our separate ways because it’s just too much. And I understand,” Cassidy said. “I feel sad because I don’t like losing people, and I feel like, especially in the beginning of a relationship, it’s so fun. And you’re so excited to see where it goes.”

The breakup came three months after Cassidy soft-launched a new romance, though she did not confirm if “Joe” was the same man.

Reflecting on the relationship’s fast-moving early stages, Cassidy said, “Joe was really sweet and I feel like he was kind of like a lot of things that I wanted in a guy. He’s super low key so he doesn’t have any social media, which I actually really liked. I met his family, he took me on trips. Things were going really well, really quick.”

However, Cassidy candidly acknowledged her own accountability for the relationship’s sudden downfall, saying, “I f up.”

She said navigating the dating world while mourning a long-term partner has created psychological hurdles.

“Dating after losing somebody that you genuinely thought you were gonna spend the rest of your life with is really tough,” Cassidy said. “because I physically look for Liam in every single guy that I meet.”

She added, “If they don’t hit all the check marks, I tend to either back away or almost resent this person. And it’s so crazy.”

Court documents recently revealed that the late singer’s 9-year-old son, Bear Payne, is the sole beneficiary of a $29,007,998 inheritance.

Liam Payne, who died after falling from a hotel balcony, left no will. In May 2025, a U.K. court appointed the child’s mother, singer Cheryl, 42, and attorney Richard Mark Bray as estate administrators.

According to court filings, the estate’s gross value was $38 million, with a net value of $32.2 million.

The majority of the funds will remain in a trust until Bear Payne turns 18 under the management of Cheryl and Bray.

Zoe Papadakis is a journalist with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer, and editor for newspapers, magazines, and websites.