Next month marks one year since Liam Payne tragically passed away, leaving his ex-girlfriend Cheryl heartbroken for their son, Bear. And as she prepares for the difficult day, sources tell heat the Girls Aloud singer is planning a special tribute to Liam, vowing to stay strong for their eight-year-old boy.
‘Cheryl can’t quite believe how quickly the anniversary of Liam’s death has come around. The past year has been an emotional roller coaster,’ an insider says. ‘She’s felt every emotion there is – heartbreak, anger, denial, fear, and even guilt, just for being able to carry on with her life. But everything she’s done over the past year has been for Bear, and that has included getting herself back on her feet and strong enough to continue her career and be the best mother she can be under the tragic circumstances.’
The insider continues, ‘She’s trying to focus on being strong every day for her son, and doing the right thing for Liam’s anniversary. She’s been in touch with his family and wants to plan something private and special, so Bear can one day look back with pride at how they honoured his father and kept his memory alive. Although it’s stressful and stirs up a lot of memories, Cheryl knows it’s the right thing to do. A lot of people have told her that this first anniversary will be the hardest.’
Cheryl and Bear’s lives were devastated on 16 October 2024 when Liam died aged just 31, after falling from the third floor of his Buenos Aires hotel room. Following the tragic news, Cheryl, 42, posted on Instagram about the ‘indescribably painful time’ she was going through, and touched on her son having to face ‘the reality of never seeing his father again’.
It’s thought Cheryl went on to play a significant role in planning the funeral alongside Liam’s grieving parents. Now, with the anniversary just around the corner, we’re told the star – who returned to the spotlight last month in an advert for skincare brand Nivea – is leaning on her loved ones for support. ‘She was very hands-on with organising Liam’s funeral, which was incredibly hard, but made her tougher,’ says our source. ‘She’s trying to channel that version of herself now and tune out all the outside noise. Cheryl knows there will be people looking to judge her for carrying on with her career, but she's blocking all of that out.
'The main thing will be celebrating Liam's life and legacy, and she wants to do that for him and for Bear. As well as the private family event, she wants to do her own social media post and is still working our exactly what do say. She knows it’s going to be difficult for everyone, and she already has her friends and family rallying around her, including her Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola, Kimberley and Nadine. Cheryl has really leaned on the girls. After losing Sarah to breast cancer in 2021, it feels as though they have a new understanding of life and each other.’
First meeting in 2008 when Liam auditioned for The X Factor when Cheryl was a judge, the pair eventually got together almost a decade later, and were in a relationship for just over two years. Welcoming Bear in March 2017, the pair split the following year, but continued to co-parent their son. At the time of Liam’s death, he was in a relationship with American influencer Kate Cassidy, 26, who said they had plans to get married. Our source adds that Cheryl is doing everything she can to make sure those who loved Liam are involved in the day. ‘She just wants to make Bear and Liam proud. She’s handled everything with grace and class so far and that isn’t going to change,’ the insider says.
‘She does have some communication with Kate out of respect, and has always tried to be sympathetic and inclusive towards everyone who was a part of Liam’s life.’
