EXCLUSIVE: Liam Payne's Ex Cheryl 'Acting As Grief Counselor' to His Heartbroken Former Girlfriend Kate Cassidy As She's Trolled For Posting 'Ghoulish' AI Images of Her With Broken Singer

Cheryl has quietly stepped in to comfort Liam Payne's grieving girlfriend Kate Cassidy after the influencer faced online abuse for sharing AI-generated images of herself with the late One Direction star – pictures some fans branded "ghoulish" and "disturbing."

RadarOnline.com can reveal the Girls Aloud singer, 42 – who shares an eight-year-old son, Bear, with Payne – reached out privately to Cassidy, 26, ahead of the first anniversary of the pop star's death, acting as what one insider described as "an emotional anchor" and "grief counsellor" for the heartbroken model.

Payne died last October, aged 31, after a drug-crazed fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. His death, later ruled accidental, left both women shattered.

A family source said: "Cheryl's been watching over Kate quietly for a while. She knows how grief can completely distort your judgment and make you act out of emotion.

"When she saw the nasty comments about those AI photos, she felt she had to step in. She reached out to offer kindness and reassurance, telling Kate that there's no right or wrong way to grieve and that she shouldn't feel guilty for how she's handling her loss."

Cassidy, who dated Payne for two years before his death, recently posted several digitally generated images of herself with the late singer, telling followers they had been created by a fan and saying to pals she shared them "because they made me smile."

One image showed the couple embracing on a beach, while another depicted Payne playing guitar beside her.

Critics called the posts "macabre" and "unsettling," but friends insist Cassidy meant no harm.

A close friend said: "Kate's absolutely shattered. Sharing those pictures was just her way of keeping a connection with Liam. She never imagined it would cause such a reaction – the online criticism has really knocked her down."

Cheryl's outreach appears to have helped.

A source close to the singer said: "Cheryl's no stranger to how vicious the internet can be. After decades in the spotlight, she's seen how damaging it is.

"She told Kate to block out the negativity and concentrate on healing – that grief doesn't follow rules, and anyone who truly cared about Liam would understand her heart was in the right place."

During their emotional conversation, Cassidy reportedly asked about Bear, and Cheryl told her she was doing her best to help him understand his father's death.

The source added: "They were both in tears. They reminisced about Liam, swapped stories, and spoke about finding gentle, genuine ways to keep his memory alive – without turning it into something sensational."

Payne's relationship with Cassidy began in late 2022, and the couple made their red carpet debut that December.

Their romance followed his earlier split from Cheryl in 2018, months after Bear's birth.

Since Payne's death, Cheryl has largely withdrawn from public life, focusing on her son.

Shortly after the tragedy, she posted a message urging fans to remember "we have lost a human being," and has since made it clear that Bear's wellbeing is her sole focus.

Another insider said: "Cheryl's incredibly protective when it comes to Bear. Her worst fear is him one day stumbling across cruel or sensational stories about his dad.

"That's why her talk with Kate mattered so much – it reassured her that someone else who truly cared for Liam is helping keep his memory safe."