Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy emerges in public the first time since posting about her grief for One Direction star after his tragic balcony fall

Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has been spotted for the first time since the One Direction star’s tragic death.

Ms Cassidy, 25, left Argentina two days before the singer plunged 43 feet (13 meters) from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last Wednesday, aged 31.

The actress was spotted in Florida this weekend picking up dog food for the dog she shares with Payne.

Ms. Cassidy walked down the street with two friends while holding a bag under each arm.

She and Payne had originally flown to Buenos Aires to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on October 4, but he remained in the country after his girlfriend flew home on October 14.

On Friday, she broke her silence to pay an emotional tribute to Payne. The message on her Instagram read: “Thank you for all the kind words and love sent my way.

‘I was completely at my wits’ end. Nothing about the past few days felt real. I ask and pray that you give me the grace and space to deal with this privately.”

‘Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know that I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will love you for the rest of my life. I love you, Liam.”

Ms Cassidy and Payne first started dating in October 2022 and made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards later that year.

The pair then put an end to the split rumors by enjoying a date in London in June 2023, and later that year she supported him when he was rushed to hospital with a ‘severe kidney infection’.

The former One Direction star fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palmero hotel.

Police and prosecutors continue to investigate the tragedy, which is being treated as an “inconclusive death.”

Post-mortem examination revealed that he died from multiple injuries.

Chief investigator, prosecutor Marcelo Roma, has called for histopathological, biochemical and toxicological examinations to confirm whether the musician was drugged and intoxicated.

With the outcome expected to take 10 to 15 days, Argentina’s National Public Prosecution Service currently considers his death as ‘inconclusive’, it has emerged.

His father Geoff has traveled to the Argentine capital to visually confirm the body is his son’s and arrange its repatriation to Britain once it is released by authorities. His funeral is expected to take place in November.

Today, two employees at the hotel where Payne died are being investigated for supplying the star with drugs in the days leading up to the tragedy.

The men are accused of smuggling them into the singer’s suite at the hotel.

A cleaner and another staff member are said to have hidden the drugs in a Dove soapbox that detectives found in Payne’s room after his death.

White powder, crystals, tablets and other paraphernalia were discovered in the third-floor suite.

Police have sent the chemicals – believed to be cocaine and crack cocaine – for analysis.

Management at CasaSur, in the upmarket Palermo district, is said to have been alerted to the unusual behavior of the unnamed men and has dismissed a staff member.

Detectives also questioned them about their possible role in Payne’s death.

“There were two guys in the hotel who gave Liam drugs,” a close friend of Mr Payne has revealed.

“They sent taxis to pick up packages for him. One of the boys worked in the cleaning department. After Liam died, they noticed that a taxi had been sent to the cleaner’s home address.

‘The hotel manager asked him why the taxi had gone to his house and when he could not provide an explanation he was fired.

‘The cleaner and another staff member were interviewed by the police.’

The friend added: ‘Liam did everything he could to stay clean but as soon as he got to the hotel these people offered him alcohol and drugs.’

Representatives of the CasaSur Hotel have so far declined to comment.