Liam Payne sparks debate for his apparent joke about girlfriend Kate Cassidy’s outfit

One Direction alum has been dating girlfriend Kate Cassidy since 2022

Liam Payne sparks debate for his apparent joke about girlfriend Kate Cassidy’s outfit (katecassidy / TikTok)

Liam Payne has sparked a debate over his apparent joke about his girlfriend Kate Cassidy’s outfit.

In a recent video posted to Cassidy’s TikTok, the couple showed off their outfits for the evening before heading out to dinner with friends in England. The influencer then asked her boyfriend to describe his look, as he wore a pair of black trousers, a white and blue long-sleeved shirt, and a gold watch.

After she called Payne’s shirt “so cool” and said that she’d be “borrowing” it at some point, she described her all-black outfit. “I’m wearing this set from Revolve,” she said, pointing at her shirt with gold open buttons. “Then I’m wearing this little Chanel bag and Dior heels.”

The One Direction alum then complimented his girlfriend, as he jokingly had a blank look on his face and appeared to make a quip about her outfit. “You look good. Nice and covered up for once,” he said, while Cassidy smiled for the camera and showcased her look.

She also asked her followers to share their thoughts about her and her boyfriend’s outfits, writing in the caption: “Who did it best.”

However, Cassidy’s video has received some mixed reactions on social media, with multiple people criticizing Payne for making the apparent joke about his girlfriend’s clothes.

“‘For once’ is actually insane…” one person wrote, while another person commented: “GIRL RUN FAST.”

A third person on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “Liam’s giving off major villain vibes! If he’s this bold on camera, who knows what he’s like off-camera!”

However, other people found Payne’s comment about his partner’s outfit to simply be light-hearted.

“Liam in his TikToker era again,” one wrote, while another added: “‘NICELY COVERED UP’... FOR ONCE…This is the Liam shade I’m living for.”

“‘Nice and covered up….for once’, the sass,” a third person wrote, to which Cassidy responded: “FOR ONCE.”

Payne and Cassidy sparked romance rumors in October 2022 after they were seen attending a party together in London. The couple confirmed their romance in December of that year, when they made their red carpet debut at the British Fashion Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

In March 2023, the pair stepped out to support fellow One Direction member Louis Tomlinson’s premiere of his documentary, All of Those Voices. “What a crazy eye opening experience! It was so nice to meet you finally. I’m so glad I got to share those moments with you watching your best friend, even the tearful ones,” Cassidy wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of her and Payne posing on the red carpet. “@louist91well done on such a beautiful film that everybody will love.”

Cassidy also shared a video to TikTok in November about how she “manifested” her relationship years ago, as she’s been a big fan of One Direction from the very beginning.

“I drew this when I was 10 years old and it’s a popsicle stick - I don’t know why - of Liam,” she said, as she held up the popsicle stick with a drawing of a brunette man in a white shirt and blue pants. At the bottom of the popsicle stick, she had written the name “Liam” as a pre-teen.

“And somehow 10 years later,” Cassidy said, before opening the door to her childhood bedroom and revealing the real-life Payne lounging on her bed.

“In my childhood bedroom where I literally drew this,” she wrote over the TikTok clip, while the “Strip That Down” singer smiled for the camera. The couple then laughed and hugged, as Cassidy jokingly warned her followers: “Careful what you wish for.”