The pair split in 2018 (Image: Getty)Liam Payne sadly passed away on Wednesday, shocking fans when he fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina at the age of 31. The former One Direction heartthrob leaves behind his son Bear, now seven, who he shared with ex-partner Cheryl. Despite their split in July 2018, Liam and Cheryl continued to successfully co-parent their boy. In the documentary ‘Ant Middleton and Liam Payne: Straight Talking,’ Payne opened up about the challenges he faced upon becoming a young father. “Becoming a dad at such a young age, it’s such a difficult thing,” he admitted, talking about how his expectations of fatherhood weighed heavily on him from the start. Liam also touched on the disconnect in understanding what Cheryl experienced as a new mother. “The one thing I was missing as a man in the relationship I had, was a level understanding about what she was feeling about stuff,” he said, reflecting on the profound changes that parenthood brought to their lives.
Liam became a dad to baby boy, Bear
(Image: Internet Unknown)
Although he and Cheryl parted ways romantically, Payne never stopped considering her a pivotal figure in his life. Even after the split, he expressed deep respect for her, acknowledging her significance during that period. “She’s one of the most, if not the most, important people in my life. I’m lucky I have someone who understands what I’m going through,” he disclosed, demonstrating the strong bond they maintained despite the end of their romantic relationship. Cheryl, who first stepped into the spotlight as a fresh-faced teen on Popstars: The Rivals back in 2002, originally met a young Liam Payne in 2008 when he was a bright-eyed 14 year old auditioning for The X Factor. Fast forward to 2015, their stars aligned once more as Liam returned to the stage with One Direction. Cheryl has since spoken candidly about their relationship, praising Liam as the only man who’s remained faithful to her. She opened up to the Times about how, post-One Direction, Liam had aspirations to “settle down and have a family,” but she believed he should pursue his solo ambitions – a move that unfortunately didn’t pan out. Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Liam called Cheryl one of the most important people in his life
(Image: Getty)
When probed on whether Liam had second thoughts about domestic bliss, Cheryl replied enigmatically: “You’ll have to ask him that.” She revealed that Liam struggled transitioning from the life of a global music sensation to that of a father. Despite the challenges they faced, Cheryl expressed no bitterness, affirming their current bond as “healthy” and clarifying, “There’s no animosity whatsoever.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnCherylLiam PayneOne DirectionThe X FactorDocumentary
