Liam Payne's bond with son Bear and timeline of ex-One Direction singer's relationship with Cheryl

The former One Direction star and the former X Factor judge formed a close relationship after the show aired

Former One Direction star Liam Payne has sadly passed away after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was holidaying with partner Kate Cassidy. He was just 31 years old.

Tributes have been pouring in since the news broke about the star's death. He leaves behind a young son shared with Girls Aloud popstar Cheryl.

Liam became a dad at 23 when he and the former X Factor judge welcomed son Bear in March 2017. The couple had been in a high-profile relationship that lasted two and a half years and caught the attention of headlines around the world.

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Liam first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was just 14-years-old. Cheryl, who was married to footballer Ashley Cole at the time, was a judge on the talent show.

She was still on the show when he returned for another shot two years later in 2010. He originally auditioned as a solo artist but was put together with four other acts - Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson - to form boyband One Direction.

Their relationship became official years after the boyband reached global stardom. The couple began dating in 2015 and first made a public appearance together in 2016.

At the time, Cheryl was 32, while Payne was 22. They began dating in secret in December 2015, but rumours of their relationship broke in February of the following year.

At that time, the couple welcomed a baby boy named Bear Grey Payne. Announcing the news on Instagram, the singer wrote: "I’m incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it’s a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far.

"I’m completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this. She’s really made my dreams come true."

News of their split came soon after the birth of their baby boy, with cracks in the relationship showing in 2018. The couple announced they were breaking up in July of that year.

Despite splitting, the now 41-year-old Cheryl and Liam continued co-parenting their son. The now seven-year-old is rarely seen on social media posts by either stars, who have managed to keep his face out of the public eye as he grows up.

Doting dad Liam said his son was his "mini me" in his now final video about his boy. In an Instagram clip, speaking about the gifts he had received after turning 31 Liam revealed he hadn't seen Bear but was hoping to soon. "I didn't get any dad socks yet thought. I'm going to speak to my son in a little bit which I'm really excited about. Bless him. He's getting so big now. He's a big boy and he looks like a mini me. As if we needed any more me in the world," he joked.

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