Liam Payne's Girlfriend Felt She Was In A 'Hostage Situation' In Argentina Before His Death, Friend Says

A close friend of Liam Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, has revealed that the singer begged the 25-year-old influencer to stay in Argentina longer than she intended.

They claimed that it was like a "hostage situation" for her and that she worried about what troubles Payne might get into if she left him alone in the country.

Liam Payne eventually fell to his death in her absence after taking a cocktail of drugs that was reportedly supplied to him by staff members at the hotel he was staying at.

According to the New York Post, a friend of Cassidy shared that Payne and his girlfriend had an extensive back-and-forth over her staying back in Argentina.

Payne had traveled to Argentina with Cassidy to renew his visa. While she had planned to stay for just a few days, she ended up staying for more than two weeks because the singer had begged her not to leave.

For Cassidy, spending more time in Argentina reportedly felt like a "hostage situation" due to Payne's pleas.

"So she tells him she wants to leave, this is after a week. He begs her to stay," the close friend said about Cassidy. "She keeps extending her trip, a day, two days. And he just wants her to stay, stay, stay."

They added, "I get what people are saying, that she should just stay with her rich, famous boyfriend, but she wanted to be home in her own bed with her dog. She wanted to come home. So eventually she says she's going home."

Although Cassidy could have left anytime she wanted, she seemingly tried to delay her return because she was worried about the singer.

"She can't leave, or else who knows what will happen? And if she leaves, what will he do? But she has other responsibilities, other things that she's supposed to be doing," her friend shared.

However, after extending her trip for a while, Cassidy "finally had to make a decision." and returned home to Miami.

Now, she reportedly wonders if she could have prevented his death by staying even longer as the singer fell from the balcony of his hotel room days after her departure.

Cassidy also mourned Payne's demise on her Instagram page, revealing that he had plans to marry her.

Her latest post included a photo of a note the late singer gave her, expressing his intentions to marry her "within a year."

The note read, "Me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged & together forever, 444."

While speaking about Payne's note in a lengthy message, Cassidy said, "A few weeks ago, we sat outside on a beautiful evening manifesting our lives together. I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it."

She continued, "Liam, I know we'll be together forever, but not in the way we had planned. You'll always be with me. I've gained a guardian angel. I will love you for the rest of my life and beyond, carrying our dreams and memories with me everywhere I go. Forever yours, Katelyn 444."

A close source to Payne recently shared that he had been "clean for weeks" before his Argentina trip.

"He had been to rehab more than once," the close pal told the Daily Mail. "He had had treatment in the UK and in California, and he had recently been taken on by a new psychiatrist in Florida. Everyone around Liam hoped that he was on the path to recovery."

Sadly, Payne's alleged sobriety journey was disrupted when he arrived in the country due to dealers that "preyed" on him.

The insider added. "Liam was 100 percent sober. But when he checked in at the hotel, at some point, someone there started giving him drugs."

They continued, "Liam had tried really hard to get clean, then they preyed on him. These people only care about money. They didn't care about his health."

Some of the drugs Payne purchased from the dealers include crack cocaine, benzodiazepine, and pink concaine—a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA.

Traces of the drugs were found in his body, although it remains unclear how much of them he ingested prior to his death.

Several drug-related items were also found in Payne's room after police, including drugs discovered in a Dove soap box.

As part of ongoing investigations, staff from the hotel have been questioned by the authorities to figure out how he accessed the drugs.

Initial reports have also said that the drugs Payne ingested triggered a breakdown that resulted in the disturbing behavior he displayed before plunging to his death on October 16.