Liam Payne’s Girlfriend Saw Him 2 Days Before His Death—Get to Know Her & His Exes

Kate Cassidy (2022-2024)

At the time of his passing, Liam was still in a relationship with influencer Kate Cassidy. The couple’s romance began in 2022 and had its ups and downs. After their first seven months together, the couple reportedly hit a rough patch and split around May 2023. But by 2024, the pair were back on.

Kate was reportedly vacationing with Liam in Buenos Aires just days before he fell from a hotel balcony to his death. According to Us Weekly, Kate left Argentina two days before Liam’s death, telling her followers on TikTok, “I was so ready to leave.” While she cited not wanting to stay in “one place for too long,” it’s possible that mounting legal pressures from Liam’s ex-fiancée, Maya Henry (who we’ll get to in a moment) were taking their toll on their relationship and the singer in his final days.

Aliana Mawla (2022)

Before his relationship with Kate, Liam had a brief fling with model Aliana Mawla. The pair were spotted getting cozy at Heathrow Airport in May 2022, sparking a bit of drama with Liam’s ex, Maya Henry.

At the time, Maya Henry had to ask fans on Instagram to stop sending her posts of Liam and Mawla. “I love all the fans so much, but please stop sending me these pictures of my fiancé wrapped around another woman,” she commented on an Instagram fan account’s post. “This is not me, and it’s hard enough knowing this has happened without seeing it. Enough now.”

Maya Henry (2018-2021)

Liam’s relationship with Maya Henry was perhaps his most highly publicized romance since One Direction’s split. The couple began dating in 2018 and eventually got engaged in 2020. The pair went on to announce a split in June 2021, but by October 2021, they were back together. 

Their reunion, however, was also short lived. Liam and Maya officially called it quits again in 2022 amidst cheating rumors involving Aliana Mawla. Their story would go on to take an even more tumultuous turn, with the drama continuing long after their breakup.

In a TikTok posted just days before Liam’s death, Maya alleged that Liam had been harassing her since their split. She claimed, “Ever since we broke up, he messages me, [will] blow up my phone. Not only from his phone number, it’s always from different phone numbers too, so I never know where it’s going to come from.”

Maya also alleged that Liam would “create new iCloud accounts to iMessage me,” and even reach out to her mother and best friend. The situation escalated to the point where Maya reportedly sent Liam cease and desist papers while he was vacationing in Argentina.

Tragically, on the day of Liam’s death, a hotel manager reportedly called the police, stating, “We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. He breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart.” Shortly after, Liam was found having fallen from his balcony.

Cheryl Cole (2015-2018)

Liam met Cheryl Cole, his ex-girlfriend of two and a half years, for the first time on The X Factor in 2009, where Cheryl served as a judge and Liam was a contestant with his One Direction bandmates. They didn’t start dating until their paths crossed again years later, with most reports linking them romantically beginning in late 2015 or early 2016.

In March 2017, Liam and Cheryl welcomed their son, Bear Grey Payne, into the world. Cheryl took to Instagram to share the happy news, writing, “On Wednesday 22nd March Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy, weighing 7lb 9 and looking like a dream. Although he doesn’t have a name he is already stealing hearts. We are all madly in love and overwhelmingly happy with our little arrival. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers around the world. A day that now has a different meaning to me forever.”

Liam also gushed about his son in a since-deleted post: “I’m incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world; it’s a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far,” he wrote. “I’m completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this. She’s really made my dreams come true. We haven’t named him yet, but he’s already capturing hearts, including mine. I feel very blessed.”

Ultimately, Cheryl and Liam called it quits in July 2018. The pair announced their split on social media, writing that they had made a “tough decision” but “still have so much love for each other as a family.” They remained on good terms, as they continued to stay close and raise their son amicably. Liam told Glamour in 2021 that he loved co-parenting with Cheryl, saying, “Cheryl is literally the best person to co-parent with. No stress involved. It’s very, very relaxed, and we spend a lot of time on FaceTime.”

Sophia Smith (2013-2015)

Before his relationship with Cheryl, Liam dated Sophia Smith, a childhood friend from his hometown of Wolverhampton. The two began dating in 2013 and were together for about two years. Sophia was often seen supporting Liam at One Direction events and concerts, becoming a familiar face to fans.

Their relationship was serious enough that there were even engagement rumors at one point. However, the pressures of Liam’s busy schedule with One Direction eventually led to their split in 2015. Despite the breakup, the two reportedly remained on good terms.

Danielle Peazer (2010-2012)

Liam’s first high-profile relationship was with dancer Danielle Peazer. The couple met on the set of The X Factor in 2010 when One Direction was competing on the show. Danielle was working as a backup dancer, and sparks flew between her and Liam. Their relationship lasted for about three years, weathering the storm of One Direction’s meteoric rise to fame. Danielle became a well-known figure among One Direction fans, often traveling with the band and appearing in behind-the-scenes footage.

The couple briefly split in 2012 but reconciled before calling it quits for good in 2013. The demands of Liam’s career and their age difference (Danielle was five years older) were reported as reasons for the breakup.