Liam Payne’s troubling behavior escalated after Kate Cassidy cut their vacation short before his tragic death on October 16, according to a source close to Cassidy. The insider shared with PEOPLE that Payne, who passed away at 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, acted differently when Cassidy was around, as seen in recent Snapchat videos.
The source added that Cassidy, 25, had been a steadfast presence during Payne’s “legal drama” involving his ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, offering unwavering support throughout the ordeal.
Maya Henry reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to Payne shortly before his death, alleging repeated attempts to reach her
Henry, 23, the author of Looking Forward, mentioned Payne indirectly in a TikTok shared on October 6, where she alluded to a person linked with “One Direction fans” who continued to contact her relentlessly.
Just last week, she reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to Payne, alleging that he had been repeatedly trying to reach her, according to the Daily Mail. Payne and Cassidy were first seen together in October 2022, though they kept their relationship mostly low-key, sharing glimpses through red carpet appearances and personal selfies.
Sources revealed to ABC News that Payne had multiple drugs in his system at the time of his death, including a substance known as “pink cocaine.” This recreational drug, often a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA, is typically not made with actual cocaine, as explained by the National Capital Poison Center. An improvised aluminum pipe used for drug consumption was also found in his hotel room.
Authorities confirmed that Payne’s body will remain in Argentina until the autopsy is finalized. When police entered his hotel room following the incident, they discovered it in disarray, reporting that emergency services had been contacted shortly before Payne’s fall due to the singer causing severe damage to the room.
Upon further inspection on October 17, investigators uncovered clonazepam, energy supplements, and various over-the-counter drugs scattered across the space, along with broken items such as a television. Additional items, including a whiskey bottle, a lighter, and a cellphone, were recovered from the internal courtyard where Payne’s body was found.
Preliminary autopsy findings indicated that Payne’s death resulted from multiple injuries and internal and external hemorrhaging, as confirmed by the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office.
The coroner’s report detailed that 25 injuries were consistent with falling from a height, emphasizing that the trauma to Payne’s head alone was sufficient to cause death, while additional hemorrhaging throughout his body contributed to the fatal outcome.
