Liam Payne Reportedly Became 'Erratic' After Girlfriend Left Argentina

Liam Payne's "erratic behavior reportedly began to escalate" following Kate Cassidy's departure from their vacation, just days before his tragic death on Wednesday, October 16.

As The Blast reported, the former One Direction band member died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Before his untimely death, Liam Payne had been enjoying a vacation with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.

According to a source close to the late singer's girlfriend, Payne's "erratic behavior started ramping up" when Cassidy left their vacation.

"You could see from the Snapchat videos that he was a different person around her, the insider told People Magazine. Videos have also circulated of fans meeting Payne just days before he passed away--with many noticing "his eyes" are "very telling," meaning fans can see how depressed he was even if he didn't show it.

During all of this, Payne was also dealing with "legal drama," which began after his ex-fiancée Maya Henry, whom he began dating in 2019 and got engaged to in August 2020. The couple hit a rough patch in June 2021, briefly calling it quits, but they reconciled by the end of the year.

However, in May 2022, they called off their engagement for a second time after photos surfaced of Payne cozying up to model Aliana Mawla.

Less than two weeks before Payne's passing at the age of 31 on October 16, Henry, 23, took to TikTok on October 6 to claim that he had been relentlessly “blowing up” her phone following their breakup. “It’s always from different phone numbers too. I never know where it’s going to come from . . . Also [he] will email me,” she claimed in the video. “Not only me, but he’ll blow up my mom’s phone. Is that normal behavior to you?”

Then, last week, she filed a cease-and-desist order against Payne, according to the Daily Mail. “Maya Henry issued a cease-and-desist last week to Liam Payne following the emergence of new and concerning information,” lawyers told the outlet. “She has retained attorneys Marco Crawford and Daniel Cerna to represent her. At this time, that is her only comment on the matter.”

Despite the drama, Cassidy had "been super supportive of him" and "very much stood by him," the insider told People.

After being seen with model Aliana Mawla, Payne moved on with Cassidy in 2022, and she was by his side during their recent vacation in Argentina, just days before his death.

Cassidy left the country shortly before the tragic incident, in which Payne fell three stories from a hotel balcony. His autopsy later revealed that several drugs were present in his system at the time of his passing--including "pink cocaine."

Despite its name, pink cocaine isn’t actually cocaine. In fact, it is typically a blend of MDMA, ketamine, and caffeine, though it can also contain other substances like benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, and cathinones.

Cocaine, benzodiazepines, and crack were also found in his system.

Shortly after learning of his death, Payne's girlfriend released a statement on social media. 

“I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days has felt real,” Cassidy shared on her Instagram Story. "I ask and pray that you'll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private."

She later added, "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."

The former One Direction star had reportedly been clean for some time before the trip, but according to a source, "someone there started giving him drugs."

The source told the Daily Mail, "Liam had been clean for weeks. He had been to rehab more than once, receiving treatment in both the UK and California, and he had recently begun working with a new psychiatrist in Florida. Everyone around Liam had hoped he was on the path to recovery."

When Liam Payne traveled to Argentina to renew his U.S. visa, things took a downward turn, as sources claim local drug dealers "preyed" on the singer.