One Direction star Liam Payne and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy were together for two and a half years and welcomed a son called Bear before they split in 2018

Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy spoke candidly about her opinion of drug use after a tragedy close to her heart.

It’s been more than two weeks since One Direction star Liam Payne devastatingly died after plunging from the third floor of a boutique hotel in Argentina, and his family are still trying to fly his body home. Liam is survived by his loved ones and seven-year-old son Bear, whom he welcomed with ex Cheryl back in 2017.

The former couple first met when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, but did not become romantically involved until almost a decade later. They dated for two years before they split in 2018, and went on to amicably co-parent their son, with Liam praising Cheryl for being a caring mum.

Cheryl sadly lost her childhood best friend to a heroin overdose in 2005 (Image:SplashNews.com)

She later said it put her ‘off drugs for life’ and described it as a nightmare (Image:Getty Images)

Liam was open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol in his final years. He admitted going through a wild “pills and booze phase” when he sky-rocketed to fame as a teenager, and said he hit “rock bottom” at the peak of his success. In 2023, he posted a YouTube video confirming he was almost six months sober after nearly 100 days in rehab.

Forensics experts reportedly discovered traces of cocaine in his body after his death, and the Argentinian hotel manager expressed concerns about him being “off his head on drugs”. Liam was seen “acting erratically” in the lobby before he fell off the balcony, and white powder was pictured in his room.

Liam’s ex Cheryl has always been strongly against drug use after losing her childhood friend to a heroin overdose in 2005. Budding footballer John Courtney was just 21 years old when he died. Close friend Cheryl later said: “It put me off drugs for life. That nightmare devastated all John’s family and friends.”

After Liam’s sad death, Cheryl took to Instagram to post an unseen picture of him with their son and made an emotional statement regarding the tragedy. She begged for some kindness and respect to be shown for Liam as she highlighted the harsh reality that both she and Bear face.

Cheryl posted a photo of Liam and Bear in a sad tribute to the late father of her child (Image:Instagram/cherylofficial)

Her post read: “As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being. Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity; he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven-year-old son.

“A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again. What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past two days. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future.”

During their two-year relationship, Cheryl and Liam were dubbed Chiam and were reportedly set to tie the knot. But near the end, Liam admitted they were having “struggles” and not everything was “fine and dandy”.

“The funniest thing was a week before we were getting married. The next week we’re splitting up,” he told the Evening Standard’s ES magazine. In 2018, they announced the sad news they were going “separate ways” and said: “Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”

After their split, in 2022, Liam spoke about their friendship in an interview with US YouTuber Logan Paul. He said: “The relationship we have now as friends has only grown more. We broke up for a reason and now she gives me full autonomy of my life and to do what I do and I know he’s taken care of. He is all she cares about and I couldn’t ask for more.”