Liam Payne's Circle Reportedly Upset Over Kate Cassidy's Public AI Posts Ahead Of Death Anniversary

Friends and relatives of Liam Payne have voiced frustration over AI-generated images posted by his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, in the lead-up to the first anniversary of his death.

According to Daily Mail, Cassidy shared several AI-created photos of herself with Payne on social media last week.

The pictures showed them dressed up and smiling, despite Payne's death last year after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires at age 31.

She wrote alongside the images, "Thanks for making these. AI is such a blessing and a curse."

For those close to Payne, the posts hit a nerve. One of his former colleagues described the move as "distasteful" and "unhelpful" to his family and loved ones.

"Who does this?" the friend said. "It's surely triggering for those who loved Liam."

Sources close to Payne's family say the influencer's repeated public tributes have created tension.

His parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, plan to spend the anniversary quietly with their daughters. Friends think that Cassidy is the one who will write praises on the Internet, which they are afraid to overwhelm the family's secret remembrance.

Their romance started in 2022 and since then, were often seen at red-carpet functions but kept limited contact with his family. Friends say Payne's parents only met her at his funeral last November in Buckinghamshire.

"She wasn't close to them," a source said. "They want privacy, and this kind of attention isn't what they need."

Cassidy has often shared personal memories since Payne's passing. Three days after his death, she posted a note he had written that said, "Me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged & together forever 444."

She added, "You'll always be with me. I've gained a guardian angel."

Associates of the late singer say her social media activity has kept her public profile high.

"Every time she shares a picture or video of him it helps her brand," one source said. Since then, she has collaborated with companies on her personal store and is still posting lifestyle material from her residence in Miami.

Cassidy has similarly shared her sadness experience when she was interviewed by Page Six, and the loss led to her a depressive state for two months.

"I was always just kind of doing nothing and just dealing with that grief and pain," she said. She later added that she pushed herself to "get out of bed" and rebuild her routine.

A Private Legacy

While Cassidy has kept Payne's memory visible online, his family has chosen silence. Not once did the family and friends discuss the demise of Payne in public.

They, however, turned the spotlight to a charity event initiated at his memorial service to help cancer-stricken kids.

According to The Sun, almost $333,000, of which nearly the entire sum was due to family and friends, has been raised by the relatives and friends of Payne in the last 12 months to be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This money is for the development of a new cancer unit, which is the hospital's department of research, treatment, and care.

Tags

Liam Payne, One Direction