During his lifetime, Liam Payne, former member of the group One Direction, was widely known for his romantic relationship with singer Cheryl Cole, who was 10 years older than him. The couple was together for three years and had one son.

On October 16, fans around the world were shocked to learn that Liam Payne had passed away after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina. Local police are investigating the incident. According to the autopsy results, Liam suffered multiple injuries and was suspected of using alcohol and drugs prior to his death.

Liam Payne entered the entertainment industry at the age of 15. He participated in the British version of the talent search program The X-Factor before becoming a member of the globally famous boyband One Direction in 2010.

 

 

A Teacher-Student Romance

In addition to his successful and well-known music career, the star, born in 1993, had a tumultuous personal life, marked by alcohol and substance abuse and controversial relationships.

Among them, Liam’s romance with singer Cheryl Cole, who was 10 years older, garnered significant media attention. Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole first met in 2008 during his audition for The X-Factor (UK).

At that time, Cheryl was 25 years old, a member of a famous British girl group, and a judge on The X-Factor. At the height of her career, Cheryl was also considered an entertainment beauty icon, pursued by many admirers.

Meanwhile, Liam Payne was an unknown teenager participating in The X-Factor to pursue his dream of becoming a professional singer. In a video capturing Liam’s audition, he appeared with a youthful and innocent demeanor. Cheryl was impressed by the 15-year-old boy’s passion for a performance career and was responsible for mentoring him and other contestants.

Ten years after their initial meeting on The X-Factor, Cheryl and Liam met again during the 2015 edition of the program.

By this time, Cheryl had experienced two failed marriages. She had married footballer Ashley Cole but divorced him in 2010. Her second husband was French businessman Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, whom she married in 2014 and divorced in December 2015.

At the same time, Liam Payne was enjoying tremendous success with One Direction. He was also in a relationship with girlfriend Sophia Smith, but the couple split in October 2015 after dating for more than two years.

Their reunion on The X-Factor in 2015 brought Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole closer together. Liam was captivated by Cheryl’s mature and feminine beauty, while Cheryl found peace and security in Liam’s presence.

In February 2016, Liam and Cheryl made their relationship public, appearing together at entertainment events. Their age-gap romance was admired by many fans. Liam even showed off a tattoo of three roses on his arm, identical to the tattoo on Cheryl’s lower back.

Their love was further fulfilled when Cheryl gave birth to their first son, Bear, in February 2017. However, just one year after Bear’s birth, the couple’s relationship began to fracture, and they amicably announced their separation.

Speaking to YouTuber Logan Paul about his breakup with Cheryl, Liam admitted that he didn’t know what was happening or what to do when he unexpectedly became a father at 24.

Despite this, the singer spoke highly of Cheryl, especially her parenting skills, calling her “the best mother in the world.”

 

Life After the Breakup

“We still hold a lot of love for each other as a family. Bear is our world, and we hope you will respect his privacy,” Liam said.

Cheryl and Liam decided never to publicly share pictures of Bear to keep him away from the limelight. Liam once expressed his happiness when talking about his son: “I take my son to school one or two times a week, and it’s the best thing ever.”

Even after their separation, Cheryl and Liam maintained a close relationship and didn’t hesitate to mention each other in interviews. Liam was praised for being a responsible father, always striving to provide the best for his son.

In 2022, during an interview with People, Liam said, “This is very important. My son needs a father in his life, and I’m happy that he looks up to me as a superhero. I hope it continues that way.”

On his 31st birthday in August, Liam spoke about his son and his desire to be a role model for him.

 

 

Struggles and Redemption

In mid-2023, during a conversation with fans on his personal YouTube channel, Liam mentioned Cheryl Cole. He expressed his love for his son and thanked Cheryl for encouraging him to go to rehab and seek psychological treatment.

After Liam’s passing, Cheryl Cole did not comment publicly. She remained silent and refrained from updating her social media accounts. On October 20, she unexpectedly posted on social media.

The beautiful star admitted that Liam’s sudden passing was a great loss, especially for their son. The 41-year-old singer also expressed dissatisfaction with how the media was reporting on Liam’s life and death.

“Liam was not just a music star or a public figure; he was also a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, and the father of a 7-year-old boy. A child is grieving, unable to meet his father again. What I think about most right now is how Bear will feel when he reads the news that we’ve seen over the past few days,” she wrote.

As a mother, Cheryl called on the media and the online community to stop sharing negative or even inaccurate information about Liam.

“These reports only serve the curious and bring pain to those struggling to overcome difficulty. Before leaving a comment or demanding to see a video, ask yourself if you or your family would want to see such things. Please respect Liam and let him rest in peace,” Cheryl wrote.

 

Support from Colleagues

Cheryl’s post received widespread support from her colleagues. Over the years, the singer has rarely appeared in public, focusing on her role as a mother and keeping her personal life private.

After separating from Cheryl, the former One Direction member engaged in brief relationships with various women. His list of ex-girlfriends includes supermodel Naomi Campbell, Maya Henry, and Kate Cassidy.

A week before his death, Liam’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry spoke about his mental health struggles in a TikTok video.

In the video, she accused Liam and his fans of bothering her with unwanted phone calls. “Not just me, but he’s also blowing up my mother’s phone. Is this normal behavior to you?” Henry said in the video.

 

 

According to The Daily Mail, Maya Henry, 23, claimed that Liam contacted her numerous times. The couple had been engaged before breaking up in 2022. Henry, born in Texas, is also the author of the book Looking Forward.

Liam Payne had admitted to his struggles with alcohol and had undergone rehab for 100 days. He explained that he used alcohol to cope with the overwhelming success of One Direction.

“There are many people dealing with mental health issues who don’t actually get help, and I think that’s a problem in our industry,” the late star told Men’s Health in 2019.