Kate Cassidy responds to criticism over removing tattoos linked to Liam Payne

Kate Cassidy, the late Liam Payne's girlfriend, has responded to criticism from people who claimed she was removing tattoos dedicated to him because she no longer loved the former One Direction star.

Nearly two years after the singer's death, the influencer explained why she is having several tattoos removed from her hand, including some that were tributes to Payne, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

"The only reason I'm getting these tattoos removed with laser is simply because they're too bold for my taste," Cassidy said in a video posted on TikTok.

She explained that they were the first tattoos she had ever gotten and that she had asked for a very fine, delicate style, but the final result was not what she had expected.

"I wanted something very light and very thin, but I ended up with these thick, heavy tattoos," the 27-year-old said.

Cassidy has begun laser removal treatments for a pair of angel wings, a star, and the number 4, which she and Payne considered their special number.

However, she stressed that removing the tattoos has nothing to do with letting go of her memories of Liam Payne or her love for him. Instead, she plans to have the same tattoos redone in a different area of her hand by an artist with more experience in fine-line tattooing.

"The meaning behind all of my tattoos is very, very special to me. I'm not removing them for any reason other than wanting to have them redone somewhere else and placed in a better location."

Cassidy and Payne, who began dating in 2022, were vacationing together in Argentina before the singer died after falling from a hotel balcony.

Since then, Cassidy has spoken openly about her grief and the impact Payne's death has had on her life, including on her future relationships.

"Dating after losing someone you truly believed you'd spend the rest of your life with is incredibly hard because I physically look for Liam in every guy I meet," she said in a TikTok video in June.

She added that she often distances herself from new people if they do not live up to the expectations tied to her memories of Liam.

Despite the challenges, Cassidy said she is trying to adjust to life without him.

Photo: Instagram