Cheryl and Liam Payne were once one of the most talked about couples in the showbiz world, but despite their split, the former Girls Aloud singer has always protected her ex, and even said he was the 'only man who never cheated on her'.
Cheryl has praised her ex Liam Payne as the "only man who never cheated on her", and she's always spoken highly of him even after their split. The pair first sparked romance rumours in 2016, following Cheryl's surprising divorce from Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.
In 2017, they were overjoyed to welcome their son Bear into the world. Sadly, less than a year later, Cheryl and Liam announced their separation, yet they've maintained a positive front for their son's sake.
Reflecting on her past heartaches, including her former husband Ashley Cole's infidelities, Cheryl revealed in a 2018 interview that Liam was the only partner who remained loyal. Speaking with The Sunday Times' Style magazine, she expressed that the ex-One Direction member "is the only man who has ever been faithful".
Despite their friendly parting, Cheryl found solace in their son, calling him the "man of her dreams" and declaring herself content and complete. "I'm not looking for anything any more. I'm whole. I've got the man of my dreams," she beamed.
The singer became a father for the first time at 23 and admitted that the pressure of parenthood "messed me up". In a candid chat on the Ant Middleton and Liam Payne: Straight Talking documentary in 2019, he confessed that becoming a dad at such a young age was a "difficult thing", and it led him to overthink his responsibilities.
"And I think I built fatherhood up so much in my head that it kind of messed me up to start with. I started in a bad place with it," he continued. "I think it spooked me out early on, and I was just worried I would not be enough to look after the both of them," Liam added.
He later confessed that he "didn't understand" what Cheryl, his then-partner and mother of his child, was going through as she suffered a serious haemorrhage following Bear's birth, and took a break from the limelight to focus on their new baby. Despite their breakup, Liam had nothing but praise for Cheryl, calling her "the best mum in the world ".
"I couldn't ask for someone better," he said on Logan Paul's podcast Impulsive. "The relationship we have now as friends has only grown more."
Cheryl reciprocated her ex's sentiments, telling the Daily Mail in 2019 that she and Liam are successfully co-parenting Bear, and she couldn't be happier about the positive impact it was having on their son.
Cheryl opened up about the split, saying, "There's no animosity whatsoever. We are learning all the time. And it's good, it's healthy. We're just like any other couple that have gone through this, but we have a few more eyes watching us...just a few,"
The singer has kept a respectful silence about Liam lately, which led many One Direction fans to believe that she's protecting her ex for the benefit of their son Bear.
Cheryl's Concerns
The ex-One Direction star, 31, was in Argentina for pal Niall Horan's tour when he tragically fell from his third floor hotel balcony.
Months before his death on Wednesday, Liam's former partner Cheryl was said to be "really worried" about him.
In August last year, the 1D singer had to cancel his tour and take a break from performing after he was rushed to hospital with a serious kidney infection.
A source claiming to be close to the Girls Aloud star told the Mirror at the time: "Cheryl is really worried about Liam.
"As soon as she heard he was in hospital, she feared the worst.
"She's really protective of him and is worried no one is actually looking out for him."
Liam admitted turning to alcohol and drugs as he struggled to cope with One Direction's dizzying levels of fame — which would spark panic attacks and exhaustion.
He spent time in a US wellness clinic after he "hit rock bottom".
The singer also told how a mystery respiratory illness left him floored in 2021.
In the same year, he blamed a "pills and booze phase" for bloating his face to "ten times the size" while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.
He came across as erratic in interviews due to his bizarre claims including that Simon Cowell built One Direction around his talents and that his solo career had been the most successful of all his bandmates.
In light of this, Cheryl, who is "well aware of the pressure to put talent on tour and make money", saw his most recent hospital stay as a "red flag", Heat Magazine reports.
Liam and Cheryl's Relationship
Despite their 10-year age gap, they looked completely infatuated with each other when they made their red carpet debut in Paris in May 2016.
The pair welcomed their son Bear on March 22, 2017 but split a year later.
Liam Payne and Cheryl: A Timeline of Their Relationship
It was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was only 14 when he met former X Factor judge Cheryl during the show in 2008.
But it wasn't until 2016 - when the Girls Aloud singer was divorcing her second husband - that the pair got together despite their ten-year age gap.
The couple made their relationship official in May of that year when they appeared at Eva Longoria's Global Gift Gala in Paris.
In 2017, Liam paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
Cheryl was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a boy on March 22, 2017.
She posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby captioned: "On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream."
One pal told The Sun: "Liam didn't leave Cheryl's side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can't wait to take him home.
"This is the perfect Mother's Day for Cheryl."
The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
In February 2018, The Sun broke the news that Liam's constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and the pair were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl said "none of it matters" as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple's 'safe word'.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: "Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
"But they're in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it's best for everyone if they do go their separate ways."
Liam and Cheryl released a statement confirming their break-up which read: "We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make.
"We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together."
Liam's Life After Cheryl
After breaking up with Cheryl, Liam's love life was just as turbulent as his health worries.
He was linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell, 54, in 2019.
He then went on to have an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which ended for good in May 2022.
Pictures later emerged of him with his arms around American model Aliana Mawla.
The star arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his most recent girlfriend - American actress Kate Cassidy.
He was seen at Niall's show dancing and meeting fans on October 2.
Liam Payne's Death
A spokesperson for the local ambulance service said Liam was declared dead outside his hotel after suffering "extremely serious" injuries.
He said: "The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.
"Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life.
“Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”
A heartbreaking 911 call made by a hotel manager has also been revealed.
In it, the head of reception says: "We have a guest who is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come."
He phoned back after the line went dead, repeating his request and claiming: "We need you to send someone urgently because I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger.
"They must be in a room that has a balcony. And well, we’re a little bit worried he’ll do something, that he’ll put his life at risk."
Witnesses at the hotel reported Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room, according to TMZ.
Argentinian police said they were called to the hotel after staff reported an "aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol".
A haunting photo - purportedly his last one - shows the singer going back to the Hotel CasaSur.
Cops found Liam dead in the hotel's inner courtyard at around 5pm local time (9pm UK time) when they arrived.
Crowds of fans flocked to pay their respects outside Casa Sur Hotel in the neighbourhood of Palermo for candlelit vigils.
A bouquet of white carnations was decorated with a heart-shaped ornament which said: 'Te Amo' - 'I Love You' in Spanish.
A post-mortem is expected to be carried out later today in Buenos Aires.
Liam had shared a post on Snapchat only minutes before his death showing him and his girlfriend looking into a mirror.
The picture was taken days before his tragic fall.
Kate had also shared a post of Liam riding a horse with her in the countryside.
Tributes have poured in for the singer with celebrities and fans alike expressing their heartbreak.
Harry Styles' mum shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram captioned: "Just a boy…".
And Liam's ex-fiancée Maya Henry was " in shock" in the wake of the tragic news.
Just two days before the tragedy, Maya made comments on a podcast claiming the star "predicted his early death".
Back in August, the 31-year-old had shared a rare insight into his private life posting a video of his son Bear whom he described as a "mini-me".
Liam is survived by his son, his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
Liam Payne's Legacy
Liam Payne was a talented singer, songwriter, and performer who will be remembered for his contributions to One Direction and his solo career. He was also a loving father to his son, Bear, and a friend to many. His death is a tragedy, and he will be missed by his fans and loved ones.
