Liam Payne and Cheryl's heartbreak behind fresh start for son Bear before star's tragic death

Liam Payne is trying to show ex Cheryl he's ready to be a big part of their son Bear's life, a source has revealed, after the former One Direction star shared a rare snap of his little boy

Liam Payne, before his tragic death aged just 31, had made a fresh start with ex-girlfriend Cheryl for the sake of their beloved son, Bear.

The former One Direction star died after falling from a balcony on the third floor of the hotel he was staying in with girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, while the pair were on holiday in Buenos Aires. The couple had just last week been to watch Liam's ex-1D bandmate, Niall Horan perform. Police, firefighters and ambulances were seen outside of a hotel building after Liam tragically fell. Police are said to have been called to reports of a man acting aggressively at the hotel who could be under the effect of drink or drugs.

A body was found in an internal patio of the hotel. The police were called to the hotel by the hotel manager. It's believed that Liam fell from around 13 or 14 metres and suffered "very serious injuries incompatible with life." While City ambulance service provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said he had fallen around 40 metres and suffered “severe injuries which were incompatible with life.”

Liam was just 23 when he had son, Bear, with ex Cheryl back in 2017. They sadly split the following year after two and a half years together. Cheryl, 40, and Liam, had co-parented ever since, but fans barely saw Liam with Bear over the past seven years. So, when Liam posted a sweet pic of his little boy in March this year and gave a rare glimpse into his family life it was a big deal. The snap, on Liam's Instagram, showed Bear in a yellow jacket looking at a billboard advertising his dad's new music. The caption read, "I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy."

At the time an insider revealed after his split with Cheryl and a tough few years, including rehab and mental health struggles, Liam was ready for a fresh start, reports OK!. "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," the source said. "He really wants to be a good dad and with Cheryl now going back on tour with Girls Aloud, she'll be busier than ever and won't be at home as much."

The fresh start came after Liam Payne tried to show ex Cheryl he's ready to be a big part of their son Bear's life, a source revealed after much heartache. Liam who had previously said he'd been left with "scars" after finding fame so young and "hit rock bottom" when the band broke up in 2016 admitted it was actually Bear's arrival that signalled the end of his relationship with Cheryl.

Liam and Cheryl first met when he auditioned for The X Factor at 14 and in February 2016 they confirmed they were dating. Cheryl later kept fans guessing for months before revealing her pregnancy at a L'Oreal photoshoot in which she posed in a close-fitting black dress and cradled her bump. The couple confirmed the birth of their baby on Mother's Day 2017, posting identical Instagram posts of Liam cradling their newborn. But their love story wasn't destined to last, and Liam later revealed that they began to struggle after Bear's arrival.

Opening up on a podcast in June 2022, he said that Bear was "a lovely, lovely boy" and praised his ex, saying, "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better." But Liam also confessed that for him, Bear's birth "ruined" his relationship with Cheryl "for all the right reasons". Last year, the former One Direction star Liam admitted that he spent 100 days in a special rehab clinic in Louisiana to fight against his past traumas. He mentioned: "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."

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