Liam Payne's heartbreaking journey to 'fresh start' with son Bear before star's tragic death

Liam Payne tragically lost his life at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was on holiday with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy

Liam Payne, the former One Direction star who tragically passed away at just 31 years old, had been rebuilding bridges with his ex-partner Cheryl to benefit their beloved child, Bear.

The pop sensation met an untimely end after he fell from a third-floor balcony during a holiday stay in Buenos Aires with his partner, Kate Cassidy. This incident followed their attendance at a gig by Niall Horan, Liam's old mate from his 1D days.

Following the horrific incident, emergency teams consisting of police, fire brigade and paramedics were observed outside the establishment. It was reported that law enforcement was called to the scene due to reports of someone acting outlandishly, potentially under the influence.

A body was found within the boundaries of the hotel, leading to police being alerted by the hotel's representatives.

According to the Mirror US, Liam is believed to have taken a fall from a height of around 13 or 14 metres, which led to "very serious injuries incompatible with life."

Ambulance spokesperson Alberto Crescenti also commented that the fall was closer to 40 metres height and resulted in "severe injuries which were incompatible with life."

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Liam, who welcomed his child Bear into the world with Cheryl in 2017 when he was 23, parted ways with her the following year after two and a half years. Since their separation, Cheryl, now 40, and Liam had been sharing parental responsibilities, though Liam had been largely absent from Bear's life for the last seven years.

Liam Payne melted hearts back in March when he uploaded a delightful photo of his son Bear on Instagram, dressed in a yellow coat and looking up at a billboard promoting his father's new music venture. The accompanying caption read: "I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy."

An industry insider revealed that following his split from Cheryl and overcoming personal hurdles, including stints in rehab and mental health struggles, as OK! magazine reports, Liam was keen on moving forward. "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 added.

"He really wants to be a good dad and with Cheryl about to resume touring with Girls Aloud, she'll be busier than ever and not around as much."

Liam Payne was intent on commencing anew and showing to Cheryl his readiness to become an integral part of their son Bear's upbringing, insiders disclose, after navigating through immense personal tolls. Having gained notoriety at a young age and having endured to "hit rock bottom" after his band dissolved in 2016, Liam has candidly discussed the emotional "scars" he bore.

However, it was the birth of Bear that signalled the demise of his romantic life with Cheryl.

History tracks back to where Liam Payne first encountered Cheryl as a bright-eyed 14 year old auditioning for The X Factor. They moved into the spotlight collectively as a couple in February 2016.

Cheryl had her followers on the edge of their seats for quite some time, keeping her pregnancy under wraps until a glamourous L'Oreal photoshoot confirmed it as she lovingly held her bump in a sleek black dress. On Mother's Day 2017, Cheryl and her partner made the joyful announcement of their boy's arrival with matching Instagram posts showing Liam cradling the newborn tot.

The romance, however, wasn't destined to last. In subsequent disclosures, Liam revealed the couple encountered challenges following their son Bear's arrival.

Speaking on a podcast in June 2022, Liam couldn't help but praise his little one as "a lovely, lovely boy" and also elevated Cheryl's status, sharing that "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better."

Yet he conceded that the birth of Bear impacted their partnership profoundly, explaining that it "ruined" their relationship "for all the right reasons". The year before, the ex-One Direction star opened up about spending 100 days in an exclusive Louisiana rehab centre, working through personal issues.

Reflecting on the necessity of this period away, he confessed: "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."