Liam Payne, the One Direction star who tragically passed away at the young age of 31 last month, once talked about the Christmas celebrations with his and Cheryl’s son Bear, highlighting the co-parenting efforts they’ve put in place since their amicable separation in 2018. Even after splitting while Bear was still an infant, Liam and Cheryl worked as a team to create heartwarming family traditions during the holiday season.
Back in 2019, when Bear was just two and a half, Payne appeared on an episode of This Morning where he opened up about joining Cheryl and Bear for Christmas. He said: “I’m going to go down and see Bear, maybe cook a Christmas dinner and just hang out with family. Yeah, we’re going to go down and cook some food and hang out.”
Adding a glimpse into his experiences as a young father, Liam recounted: “I think it’s the first time he really gets Christmas now. I want to see if he actually gets unwrapping presents this year though, because otherwise, it’ll just be Cheryl by the tree again.”
Reflecting on the previous year’s festivities, he also mentioned: “I can really remember it from last year, she wrapped them all up and then unwrapped them and I just sat there going, ‘Right, what is this?”
Despite parting ways, Cheryl, 41, and Liam always spoke highly of each other, often commending each other’s parenting abilities. The pair split up shortly after their son Bear’s first birthday but continued to co-parent amicably – even choosing to live near each other for convenience, reports the Mirror.
During an appearance on Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive, Liam discussed their positive setup, saying: “I get to take my son to school one or two times a week and it’s the best thing.
“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 [Bear’s] taken care of. He is all she cares about and I couldn’t ask for more. They live like three minutes from my house. I always glue myself to where he is. My life now is his.”
In a heart-wrenching statement released following Liam’s death, Cheryl contemplated the harsh reality of Bear ‘never seeing his father again’. She penned: “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.”
In an emotional statement, a family member shared: “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.”
Liam tragically passed away on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. He is set to be repatriated to the UK this week, and his funeral arrangements are expected soon.