Kate Cassidy, Liam Payne’s former girlfriend, signaled affection for Trisha Paytas, the YouTuber who made blistering remarks about Payne on a 2024 podcast episode. Fans did not take it well. My read: it’s less a love story than a case study in how public grief and the attention economy keep bumping into each other-and leaving bruises.
The Moment
On an October 8, 2024, episode of Paytas’s podcast, Just Trish, co-host Zach Justice teed up Liam Payne’s standing with his former bandmates. Paytas chimed in with a line that stuck like gum on a sneaker: “They need to exile Liam.” Directioners called it cruel then, and still do now.
Fast-forward to this month. Paytas told listeners she “loves” Cassidy and noted that Cassidy follows her. Days later, Cassidy posted a selfie and wrote that she’d seen the podcast clip, adding, “the feeling is mutual,” punctuated by a heart emoji. Screens lit up; comments flooded in.
The reaction? A familiar cycle: shock, anger, and a volley of posts accusing Cassidy of disloyalty to Payne’s memory. Whether you see it as healing, networking, or needless provocation depends on where you sit and how terminally online you are.
The Take
Here’s what’s real: grief is not a content strategy, but the internet will try to make it one. When a high-profile ex publicly co-signs a creator who once disparaged the late star, it scans as performative-even if it isn’t. That discomfort is the spark; the algorithm is the gasoline.
Paytas thrives on controversy; Cassidy is a modern influencer who knows the value of a cross-follow. Put them together, and you get a culture clash that doubles as a marketing seminar. Is it friendship? Maybe. Is it savvy? Absolutely. Is it kind? That’s where fans draw the line.
“Grief and clout can coexist-but mixing them in public is rocket fuel.”
The hype: that this single exchange reveals Cassidy’s entire motive. The reality: parasocial math is messy. Cassidy can be both a person in pain and a public figure navigating attention. But when the public figure embraces a one-time critic, expect receipts to be demanded-and tone to be policed.
Receipts
Confirmed
- Just Trish podcast episode featuring comments about Liam Payne, published October 8, 2024, available on major audio platforms (original audio).
- Kate Cassidy’s Instagram post this month acknowledged the podcast clip and stated “the feeling is mutual,” with a heart emoji (original post).
- Trisha Paytas remarked on-air that Cassidy follows her (original audio/video).
Unverified or Disputed
- Claims about Cassidy’s motives or personal gain from ongoing posts about Payne-these are fan interpretations, not established fact.
- Third-party “insider” characterizations of Cassidy’s behavior, alleged and not independently substantiated here.
Backstory (For the Casual Reader)
Liam Payne rose to fame with One Direction in the early 2010s, then went solo with hits like “Strip That Down.” He spoke publicly at times about personal struggles and sobriety efforts. Kate Cassidy, an American influencer who dated Payne for roughly two years, built a sizable following during and after their relationship. Trisha Paytas, a longtime internet provocateur and podcast host, is known for incendiary celebrity takes and high-volume online engagement-exactly the kind of influence machine that supercharges drama the minute feelings, fame, and fandom collide.
Question: When public grief meets the influencer playbook, where do you draw the line between personal healing and performative provocation?
Sources: Just Trish podcast episode audio (October 8, 2024); Kate Cassidy Instagram post acknowledging the clip (February 2026); On-air remarks by Trisha Paytas about Cassidy following her (February 2026).
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