Heartbreak that bonded Liam Payne and ex Cheryl before his tragic death aged 31

Liam Payne, who tragically died today at the age of 31, rekindled his relationship with ex-girlfriend Cheryl earlier this year to help be a father to their son Bear

Before his tragic death at the tender age of 31, Liam Payne had rekindled a relationship with ex-girlfriend Cheryl for the sake of their beloved son Bear.

Sadly, the former One Direction star lost his life after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was holidaying with his partner, Kate Cassidy. The couple had recently attended a gig by Niall Horan, Liam's ex-bandmate from 1D.

Emergency services, including police, fire crews, and ambulances, were seen outside the hotel following Liam's horrific fall. Eyewitnesses report that authorities were called to reports of a person acting erratically at the hotel, who may have been under the influence of substances.

A deceased person was found in the hotel's inner courtyard. It is reported that the hotel management alerted the police.

It is believed that Liam fell around 13 or 14 metres, sustaining "very serious injuries incompatible with life," reports the Mirror US.

Meanwhile, Alberto Crescenti, a spokesperson for the ambulance service, suggested that the fall was approximately 40 metres, resulting in "severe injuries which were incompatible with life."

READ MORE: Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy's emotional final message to singer days before his death

Liam Payne, who became a dad at 23 to son Bear with former partner Cheryl in 2017, split from Cheryl the following year after two and a half years together. Despite their break-up, Cheryl, now 40, and Liam have been co-parenting, although Liam has rarely been seen with Bear over the last seven years.

In March, Liam Payne warmed hearts by sharing a sweet snap of his son Bear on Instagram, dressed in a yellow jacket and looking at a billboard of his dad's new music venture. The touching caption said, "I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy."

An insider revealed that after parting ways with Cheryl and facing personal hurdles such as rehab and mental health struggles, Liam is keen on turning over a new leaf, as OK! magazine reports.

"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.

With Cheryl set to hit the road again with Girls Aloud, she'll be away more often, leaving Liam wanting to step up as a father.

Liam Payne is determined to show Cheryl he's ready to be an active parent to their son Bear, following a period of emotional turmoil, a source has indicated. Having spoken candidly about the "scars" from early fame and the low points following One Direction's split in 2016, Liam acknowledged that Bear's birth signalled the end of his and Cheryl's romantic relationship.

Liam first met Cheryl when he was just 14 during his audition for The X Factor, and by February 2016, they had gone public with their romance.

Cheryl had her fans on the edge of their seats for ages before she finally confirmed her pregnancy in a L'Oreal photoshoot, where she proudly showed off her bump in a sleek black dress. On Mother's Day 2017, Cheryl and Liam Payne shared the joyous news of their son's birth with matching Instagram posts that featured Liam cradling their new arrival.

Yet, the romance wasn't to last, as Liam later revealed they hit a rough patch post the birth of their son, Bear.

Speaking on a podcast in June 2022, Liam called Bear "a lovely, lovely boy" and praised his former flame, saying, "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better."

But he also confessed that the arrival of Bear "ruined" his relationship with Cheryl "for all the right reasons". Previously, the ex-One Direction star admitted to spending 100 days in a specialist rehab facility in Louisiana dealing with his past issues.

He shared: "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."