US-born influencer Kate Cassidy, who started dating Payne in 2022, described his death as a “tragic accident” and regretted the fact she was no longer in Argentina when he died.
Cassidy, 25, told The Sun she had left Argentina without Payne, 31, shortly before he died after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires.
“No, I never did think [he might die young]… I just never thought this would have happened,” she said in her first interview since Payne died.
“Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end.
“Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina”.
Payne was staying in Buenos Aires to see his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan perform in concert.
Cassidy had left Argentina and returned home to Florida to care for their dog Nala.
“I had a responsibility, we had a responsibility. We had our dog and obviously I never, ever thought this event would occur,” she added.
She described Payne as being in a “good headspace” when she departed Argentina.
The Teardrops singer died on October 16 last year after falling from a third floor balcony at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires.
Prosecutors said Payne’s toxicological exams showed his body had “traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant” in the moments before he died.
Two face charges for supplying drugs and another three were charged with manslaughter, including a businessman who was with Payne in Argentina and two managers of the hotel.
Payne rose to fame as a member of One Direction, a boy band formed on the British television series The X Factor in 2010.
He is survived by his son Bear, 7, who he was co-parenting with singer Cheryl Tweedy after the pair split in 2018.
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