Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy's five-word statement after 'drugs ultimatum'

Liam Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, left Argentina just two days before the former One Direction singer met a tragic end. On October 16, Liam, who was only 31, sadly fell from a third-floor balcony at Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, suffering fatal injuries.

Payne rose to stardom after appearing on The X Factor as a teenager and went on to become a father. He had been vacationing with his partner of two years when she decided to head back to Los Angeles alone following an extension of their holiday.

According to reports, Cassidy had issued Liam an ultimatum before her departure – to quit drugs or lose her. A source, claiming to be close to the situation, told the New York Post: "His drug use was causing a lot of drama. So she gave him an ultimatum: her or the drugs. He chose the drugs, so she had no choice but to remove herself from the situation. She thought she was doing tough love."

Despite reportedly having been clean for months, Liam is believed to have relapsed into drug use and alcohol consumption shortly before his untimely death. The preliminary toxicology report indicated the presence of "alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants" in his system, reports the Mirror.

In the days leading up to his death, Liam shared snapshots of his holiday with Kate on Snapchat, including one with the caption: "Lovely day in Argentina [heart emoji]."

However, their time together was cut short as Kate decided to return to Florida, expressing her feelings in a TikTok video with the succinct message: "I need to go home". Two days before the tragic incident, Kate explained in a clip: "I was so ready to leave. Love South America, but I hate staying in one place for too long and we were supposed to be there for five days, turned into two weeks and I was just like, 'I need to go home'."

Liam opted to remain at the hotel. A source, reportedly close to the situation, confided to the New York Post about their concerns over Liam's potential actions if left alone, stating: "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."

The source described the tension, saying: "They're in Argentina and it's like a hostage situation. So she tells him she wants to leave, this is after a week. He begs her to stay. She keeps extending her trip, a day, two days. And he just wants her to stay, stay, stay'."

They also mentioned Kate's desire to "wanted to be home in her own bed with her dog". The allegations about Kate's 'ultimatum' have emerged following a statement from an Argentinian waiter who has denied any wrongdoing.

Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, is accused of being the 'dealer' who supplied drugs to Liam, but he vehemently denies these accusations. He maintains that they were friends and took drugs together.