Ruth Gibbins, sister of the late One Direction star Liam Payne, has shared a heartfelt reflection after learning that part of the senior school their family once attended in Wolverhampton is set to be demolished. The news has deepened her grief, as she feels the loss of physical connections to her brother’s past.
In an emotional Instagram Story, Ruth reminisced about her memories: “Hearing part of our senior school is being knocked down and having such clear memories of Liam waiting by my locker to ask for money off me all the time, feels like all of him is being removed from the planet. All the places we’ve been are changing, and he’s not here to change with them. A thousand tiny losses every single day.”
Liam Payne tragically passed away last year at age 31, following a fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina. The star’s death left a profound void in the lives of those closest to him.
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Adding to the emotional atmosphere, Liam’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, recently expressed her unwavering love for the singer, despite his passing. In a poignant TikTok video, Cassidy stated, “Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact that I will always love Liam. I will always talk about Liam. I will always laugh about Liam. I will always cry about Liam.”
She emphasized their deep connection, saying, “Liam Payne was my boyfriend, not just a famous figure to me. It hurts so much because I’m often criticized for speaking about the person I loved. I would never settle for anyone who wasn’t comfortable with me keeping Liam’s memory alive.”
Cassidy also shared her hopes for the future, while acknowledging her ongoing grief: “Liam was a very big part of my life — my best friend, someone I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. I know I’ll have to move on eventually. I want to get married and have children someday. But when a person dies, they die twice — once when they pass away, and again when people stop speaking about them. I’m not going to let Liam die twice. I will love him forever.”