Liam Payne's sister mourns as his old school faces demolition; girlfriend Kate Cassidy speaks out

Liam Payne's sister, Ruth Gibbins, expressed heartbreak on social media after news that the senior school Payne attended is slated for demolition. The former One Direction member died in 2024 at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires; authorities later confirmed alcohol and cocaine in his system. In an Instagram Story shared on Friday, Gibbins recalled the times she spent at the school with her brother and said the development feels like a part of him is being removed from the planet.

She wrote of the shared memories and the daily reminders of Payne, adding that the changes to the familiar surroundings leave a void for family and fans alike. The public message comes as the school faces modern upheaval, a context that has drawn renewed attention to Payne's life and legacy and to the private grief of those closest to him.

Gibbins has used social media in recent days to respond to online commentary surrounding Payne's death and to emphasize the human side of the tragedy. In particular, she referenced a memory in which Payne would stop by her locker to ask for money, a simple moment that she says now feels like a lasting connection to him. "He would always ask me for money," she wrote, adding that the routine memory has become part of a broader sense of loss. She also quoted, in part, a sentiment she has shared before: "A thousand tiny losses every single day." The post frames a private grief in the public arc of Payne's posthumous fame and the ongoing conversation about how families process loss when the world continues to engage with a celebrity's legacy.

Meanwhile, Payne's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, has been navigating public grief while also responding to critics who question how she handles her relationship with the late singer. Cassidy, who had been with Payne for two years, publicly stated in a series of messages that her future partners will have to accept that she will always love Payne. In a TikTok post, she said, "Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam. I will always talk about Liam I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam." She also emphasized that Payne was more than a public figure to her, insisting, "Liam Payne was my boyfriend. He wasn’t just this famous figure to me."

The influencer, 26, has since addressed a wave of online scrutiny over her discussions of Payne, including criticism that she should move on. Cassidy contended that discussing Payne is part of her grief, and she argued that it is not unusual for a person to continue to speak about someone they loved after their death. She added that talking about Payne does not diminish her other relationships, and she urged empathy for those navigating the loss of someone they deeply cared about.

Cassidy’s posts come at a time when Payne’s family has publicly wrestled with how the singer’s death is discussed in the media and by fans. In companion posts, Ruth criticized what she described as a focus on the deceased star’s public life rather than the human impact of the loss. She wrote that some people seem more interested in the fame they can gain from Payne’s death than in his memory as a son, brother, partner, and friend, and she urged followers to remember the people who are left behind—parents, siblings, and other loved ones who continue to grieve long after the headlines fade.