**Liam Payne’s Sister Ruth Gibbins Shades His Girlfriend in Tribute on Anniversary of Singer’s Death**
*Published Oct. 17, 2025, 1:05 p.m. ET*
On the first anniversary of Liam Payne’s tragic passing, his sister Ruth Gibbins appeared to sneak some subtle shade into her heartfelt personal tribute to the late One Direction star, RadarOnline.com can confirm. Fans quickly deduced that Gibbins’ remarks were aimed at Liam’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, who recently faced backlash for sharing fan-made AI photos of the couple as if Payne were still alive.
Liam Payne died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina on October 16, 2024. The singer, aged 31 at the time, had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse before his fatal accident.
### Tributes on the Anniversary
On Thursday, October 16, family, friends, and fans paid their respects to Payne. Cassidy, 26, shared a video capturing her final hour with Liam along with a touching black-and-white photo of the pair in bed, featuring Payne kissing her cheek.
Shortly after, Gibbins posted her own heartfelt message on Instagram. Her tribute spanned several slides and expressed her grief along with how much she misses her brother.
“For a year, I have watched people speak and draw conclusions on Liam and his death, a spectator of the most triggering interviews and comments, without any warning or heads-up that my person’s death is about to once again be discussed publicly, whilst I am desperately trying to resume my normal life that doesn’t fit around my grief or me anymore,” she wrote.
“Whilst I am still on my knees struggling to regain balance since my world burned down and every time I try to take a step, something comes and sets fire to all the progress I thought I had made in my mind, in trying to understand where or why Liam isn’t here helping me through this.”
### A Cryptic Warning
Gibbins concluded her note with a cryptic reference to individuals exploiting Payne’s death.
“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.”
Many fans in the comments section immediately assumed she was addressing Cassidy. One commenter slammed, “(Cassidy’s) taking advantage of Liam’s death to post on TikTok as the girlfriend in grief.” Another added, “Every time her views get low, she makes a video about Liam. She’s making money off his name and off of his death.”
One person summarized the sentiment, saying, “Some people have made this their thing to gain fame from this loss, and it’s so heartbreaking.”
### AI Photos Spark Controversy
Earlier, on Monday, October 13, Cassidy posted a series of AI-generated photos to her Instagram Stories. These images were digitally altered to make it appear as though Payne was right there with her. In the photos, the singer is seen smiling and affectionately holding Cassidy, dressed in an apricot-hued suit and wearing the Rolex Day-Date 40 watch he often sported.
The AI photos depict Payne in intimate poses while Cassidy remains relatively still. Notably, one image was clearly the same photo Cassidy had posted four months earlier.
“Thanks for making these. AI is such a blessing and a curse,” Cassidy wrote beneath one of the posts. However, the use of these images did not sit well with many who were close to the “Strip That Down” hitmaker.
### ‘Distasteful’ Display — Family and Friends React
According to the Daily Mail, a former colleague described the photos as “distasteful” and “unhelpful” for Payne’s grieving family and loved ones trying to move forward.
One friend expressed disbelief, asking, “Who does this?” in response to Cassidy’s AI photo posts. The source added, “Of course, she is fully entitled to remember Liam, but this all feels a bit much. It’s surely triggering for those who loved Liam.”
“There is some sympathy for Kate,” the friend continued, “but creating a photo of them together so soon after his death is completely strange and also upsetting for so many who loved Liam.”
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As the anniversary of Liam Payne’s death brings renewed public attention, the controversies surrounding how his memory is being honored continue to spark debate among fans and loved ones alike.
https://radaronline.com/p/liam-payne-sister-ruth-shade-singer-girlfriend-kate-cassidy-death-fame-balcony/