Cheryl and Liam Payne might have ended their romance back in 2018, but they’ve managed to maintain a friendly relationship as they co-parent son Bear, who turns seven this month. But after Liam’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry announced that her debut novel evolved from a “pain-filled” journal she wrote in 2020, during their time together, we’re told Cheryl is worried about what it could mean for the former One Direction singer.
In an Instagram post, Maya – who had an on/off relationship with Liam for almost four years, before they split for good in May 2022 – said she was “coming off a period in my life filled with a lot of pain” during the pandemic, and that she’d used her experiences to fill a journal that inspires some of novel Looking Forward.
“I’m very nervous to share a project that was once my most personal outlet of joy and freedom – a story I never intended to share. I hope that by doing so, anyone out there experiencing similar trauma and hardships as my main character will feel less alone,” she said, before listing the trigger warnings as abuse, violence, self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and abortion. The model, 23, also shared an image of the book’s front cover, which quickly left fans comparing the tattooed, guitar-holding figure to singer Liam, 30.
And it seems Cheryl isn’t happy with the comparisons. Our source says, “Cheryl respects Maya for using her voice and speaking her truth. But she thinks it’s unfair that it’s being presented in the way that it is, with fans being able to read into it accusations that things in it are somehow linked to Liam, or possibly the way he treated her in their relationship.
“As Bear gets older, Cheryl gets more protective over both her and Liam’s profile in the public eye, and she doesn’t want there to be all this negative speculation. She has got a lot on her plate right now, but can’t help but worry about Liam. No matter what happens between them, they will always be bound by Bear and still consider themselves a co-parenting team.”
Singer Cheryl, 40 – who has been spending time with her Girls Aloud bandmates ahead of their reunion tour – and Liam split after two years in June 2018, and he was first linked to Maya months later. In spite of their ups and downs, they got engaged in August 2020, with Liam later revealing that one of thhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-WF_61W7_Q&t=1se causes of their split was because he “wasn’t giving a very good version of me any more”. Liam has also been candid about his battle with substance abuse and suicidal thoughts in the past. He revealed last July that he was six months sober after spending almost 100 days in rehab, telling fans it was “good to be in this position” and “the party’s over”.
Meanwhile, as heat went to press, Liam’s new single Teardrops had failed to climb past position 107 on the iTunes chart, despite fans raving about it on social media. Since setting out as a solo star in 2017, it has been a long-harboured dream of Liam’s to crack the States, like 1D bandmate Harry Styles. With Maya’s book on the horizon, we’re now told Cheryl knows the timing of his musical setback is far from ideal.
“The music industry can be brutal, especially how it builds stars up to feel like hot property one minute, and then discarded the next,” says our source.
“It can put a lot of pressure on you psychologically, so right now Cheryl is worried sick about how Liam is going to navigate all of this. It’s still early days, but his latest comeback attempt isn’t making waves in the US, which is where Liam is desperate to get some success. She has found herself keeping a close eye on him and just wants to be there for him.”