On Wednesday, the tragic news of the death of Liam Payne, shocked his family, friends and fans. Best known as one of the five members of the boyband One Direction – along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – Payne had fans around the world. He also had a child who he leaves behind.
Who is Cheryl Cole, the mother of Liam Payne’s son Bear?
Payne, a heartthrob to millions, welcomed his first and only child, a son named Bear, in 2017. The mother is Cheryl Cole, Cheryl Ann Tweedy to give her her maiden name, a fellow British pop star and former judge on The X Factor. Their love story, however, didn’t begin during Payne’s early attempts at stardom but took off much later.
Liam met Cheryl in 2008 when he auditioned for The X Factor at just 14. Cole, seated on the judging panel, didn’t know she was looking at the future father of her child. Payne didn’t make it through in the competition that year, but he later returned to the show and eventually became part of One Direction. It wasn’t until nearly a decade after their initial meeting that rumours of a romance began to swirl in 2016, shortly after Cheryl’s separation from her then-husband, soccer star Ashley Cole.
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In March 2017, the couple welcomed their son, Bear, into the world. Though the couple’s romantic relationship didn’t last much longer, ending in July 2018, they’ve remained close as co-parents. Payne has spoken fondly of his son in interviews, calling him his ‘Mini Me’, and both he and Cheryl are said to have maintained a private but cooperative dynamic for the sake of Bear’s upbringing.
Liam has been in a relationship with Kate Cassidy, a 25-year-old from New Jersey.
Liam Payne’s Music lives on
One Direction released five studio albums: Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), Four (2014) and Made in the A.M. (2015). During his time with One Direction, he contributed to the group’s success, helping them secure over 170 awards, including notable wins such as seven American Music Awards and six Billboard Awards.
As a solo artist, Payne dropped his debut album in 2019, LP1with the title cleverly hinting at both his initials and the traditional album format of 10-12 tracks.
Although the album didn’t receive widespread critical acclaim, many acknowledged his undeniable vocal talent, though the tracks were often criticised for lacking a unifying theme or narrative. Despite this, Payne released nearly a dozen singles, collaborating with well-known artists like Quavo on Strip That Down, Rita Ora on For You, and J Balvin on Familiar.
