LIAM Payne ‘never stopped loving Cheryl’ after their split, according to Simon Cowell’s brother Tony Cowell.
The One Direction band member, who shared son Bear, aged seven, with the Promise This hitmaker, passed away aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony.
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And Tony has said this will be “so difficult” for singer Cheryl.
He told Closer magazine: “Liam was just 16 years old when I first met him backstage at The X Factor in 2010.
“I will never forget how open and honest he was. He always had a huge smile on his face. He had a quiet maturity about him, even then.
“Our family has known Liam for so many years. I will always remember how he always made the effort to speak to our late mum, Julie, when she was in Simon’s dressing room.
“Yes, the fame took its toll on his mental health, but he remained kind and considerate and an incredible friend to so many, and a wonderful father to [his son] Bear; so generous and private.”
He continued: “Liam was determined to gain Simon’s approval [on The X Factor]. He desperately wanted to please him.
“We are devastated. I feel for Simon, too. He met with Liam a few months ago, when Liam took Bear to see him at his house in the Cotswolds, and Bear played with his son, Eric.
“I also feel for Cheryl, as I know Liam never stopped loving her and Bear. It’s going to be so difficult for her. I can’t imagine her pain. Louis Walsh is devastated too. He told me, ‘Liam had this star quality about him. I will miss him.’
“It’s been moving to see this outpouring of grief around the world for Liam. I want to remember him as a beautiful young man, a normal kid trying to battle his demons.”
Liam was 23 on Bear’s arrival in 2017.
A source previously told how Little Things hitmaker Liam was building things back up for his son and said to OK! Magazine: “We don’t see a lot of Bear on Liam’s social media but I think he wants to prove to Cheryl that he’s getting his life together.”
During a podcast interview in June 2022, Liam described Bear as “a lovely, lovely boy” and praised his ex-partner Cheryl, 41.
Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl’s romance
By Joanne Kavanagh, Showbiz Reporter
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 and 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.”
He said: “She is the best mum in the world, I couldn’t ask for someone better.”
Last year, he revealed he spent 100 days in a wellness clinic.
He told of his rehab stint and said: “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually, because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognise any more.”
At the time, he praised Cheryl and their son and said: “Honestly, more than anything I want to say thank you to Bear and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well.
“There is no point trying to be a dad when you have nothing to teach.
“I feel like I have a grip on life now.
“After I got back out, that process had worked for me, but there were still some little bits left that I kind of had to deal with myself.”
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