Inside Kate Cassidy's surprise friendship with famous actor as he supports her at Liam Payne's funeral
As friends and family gathered at the funeral of Liam Payne on Wednesday 20 November, Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy was supported by her friend, actor and director Damian Hurley. Damian, who is the son of model and actress Elizabeth Hurley, is believed to have originally become friends with Kate via social media.
Following Liam’s death in October, Damian posted a tribute to the One Direction star, sharing a photo of the two of them together and writing: “One of the sweetest men I’ve ever met. A devastating loss. Thinking of and sending love to Liam’s family, especially my beautiful friend @katecass,” followed by a black heart emoji. Dressed in a black shirt and black suit, and wearing sunglasses, Damian accompanied Kate to the funeral service at a church in the Home Counties.
Kate had been with Liam in Argentina in October, but left the country a few days before he died to return home to Miami. She wrote a tribute to Liam after his tragic death following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. She said: “Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you'll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.”
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She ended by adding: “Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Damian is the son of Liz Hurley and business man Steve Bing, who died in 2020. Damian was estranged from his father, but on Father’s Day in 2022, he paid tribute to the “father figures” in his life, posting photos of godfathers Hugh Grant and Elton John, shoe designer Patrick Cox, and his mother’s former fiance, cricketer Shane Warne, who died in 2022.
Damian, who is 22, has worked as a model and actor, and directed his first movie in 2022, an erotic thriller called Strictly Confidential that starred his mother. When filming ended, he wrote on Instagram: "Everyone involved deserves public declarations of adoration (all of which will come in due course) but right now I want to worship @ElizabethHurley1 who, during the making of my first ever short film back in 2010 (when I was 8 ) promised me she’d be in my first feature; true to her word, the minute this film was greenlit, Mama dropped everything and raced out to the beautiful Caribbean to help. Working together was a dream."
