Liam Payne Fans Speculate Sister Ruth Shaded His Girlfriend Kate Cassidy as She Accuses People of Trying to 'Gain Fame' From His Death

Is Liam Payne's sister targeting his girlfriend?

On the one-year anniversary of the singer's tragic death, his sister Ruth Gibbins posted a photo of the star and wrote a lengthy emotional message about her sibling. While most of her words were about the loss, some thought she was was shading his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, for the way she constantly posts about the British heartthrob.

"I thought I had felt it before but I know the losses before you were just intense sadness, you are the loss of my life, the one person who I will miss at every single occasion in my life," Gibbins penned on Instagram on Thursday, October 16. "I'd taken for granted that my little brother would be there through life, what a cruel lesson to learn in our 30s, that a sibling is not guaranteed to be a lifer, that I have to face this without you."

She also shaded some when she concluded her message by writing, "Everyone only seems interested in the public side of this, some sadly seem more interested in the fame they can gain off this, but on the human side people need to remember when they speak, there is a son without his Dad, parents without their child and I am lost without my brother."

Fans theorized Gibbins was referring to Cassidy, who often posts photos of her late boyfriend, whom she began dating in late 2022.

"Family was his true relationship, rest were just using him; don't blame them for getting upset with Kate's nonsense," one person commented online, while another said, "Family knows a hanger-on when they see one. Kate's been capitising [sic] too long on a fairly weak relationship she had with the man by all accounts, time for her to call a day on this one."

"She used him for fame when he was alive so no change there then," a third claimed of Cassidy.

As OK! reported, the One Direction alum was 31 when he fell of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The autopsy report confirmed his cause of death was "polytrauma," as aside from the injuries he sustained, he was also under the influence of alcohol, pink cocaine and more drugs at the time.

Payne had struggled with addiction for years.

Kate has made numerous posts about the difficulties she's endured since losing her partner and also honored him on social media.

"Today marks a full year without you here. I will forever hate goodbyes," she captioned the post alongside a black-and-white photo of the duo. "I miss you Liam."