Liam Payne’s girlfriend has said she is “at a complete loss” after the singer died in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
In an Instagram story posted on Friday, 25-year-old Kate Cassidy said: “Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way.
“I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have [sic] felt real.”
The American social media influencer added: “I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.
“Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely.
“I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Follow latest updates on Liam Payne’s death
The couple had been in a relationship for two years.
Cassidy returned home from Argentina two days before the death of the former One Direction star.
The 31-year-old singer died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Simon Cowell, who mentored One Direction during their time on The X Factor, Payne‘s bandmates and his former girlfriend Cheryl have paid tribute in the last two days.
Cowell said he was “truly devastated” and “heartbroken” about Payne’s death.
“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you,” he said.
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Cowell will reportedly miss filming for the ITV show Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) when production resumes on Saturday.
Filming for the programme was halted earlier this week in the wake of Payne’s death.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles said that the time the pair spent together would be “among the most cherished years of my life”.
Niall Horan said in a separate statement that his former bandmate had an “energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious”.
Payne was previously engaged to model Maya Henry, and shares a seven-year-old son Bear with the singer Cheryl.
Cheryl said their child “has to face the reality of never seeing his father again”.
The Girls Aloud star and former X Factor judge also hit out at “abhorrent reports” about Payne, saying: “It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect (Bear) from that in his future.”