Liam Payne’s poignant last post with his ‘mini-me’ son Bear has resurfaced following the singer’s shock death.
The 31-year-old singer died instantly after suffering multiple injuries that led to ‘internal and external haemorrhaging’, when he fell from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.
The One Direction star had previously spoken of his pride for his seven-year-old son calling him ‘a lovely, lovely boy’ and had vowed to get his ‘life together’.
The star welcomed Bear with his then-girlfriend Cheryl Cole in March 2017, before the couple split the following year.
The pair have continued to amicably co-parent and both have chosen to keep their son out of the public eye, keeping his face from view.
Liam Payne’s final post of his son Bear have resurfaced following the singer’s shock death at age 31
The star welcomed his seven-year-old son, Bear Grey, with his then-girlfriend Cheryl Cole in March 2017, before the couple split the following year
Liam had hoped for a ‘fresh start’ with his ex Cheryl Cole who he described as an ‘amazing mum’ to Bear and wanted to ‘prove’ to her that he was turning his life around, according to a source.
They told OK! magazine: ‘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.’
Earlier this year, Liam said that Bear even inspired his recent appearance at the charity event Soccer Aid in 2023.
‘We are extremely lucky that Bear has the life that he has in what me and his mum have done for him,’ Payne said.
‘When I started to watch it through a father’s eyes and watching those films, imagining your child in that scenario, doesn’t sit well with anyone.
‘For me being to help out that is a huge thing, making a fool of myself on a football pitch feels like the best way to do it.’
The pair have continued to amicably co-parent and both have chosen to keep their son out of the public eye, keeping his face from view (pictured together in 2016)
It comes as:
Cheryl and Liam welcomed their son Bear on Mother’s Day in 2017, with the proud couple announcing the news in matching Instagram posts showing Payne cuddling his newborn son.
Declaring his ‘incredible happiness,’ he wrote that he was ‘completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this’, adding she has ‘really made his dreams come true.’
A few months later, in an interview, Payne said he had ‘always wanted to be a young dad’.
Nonetheless, parenthood caused fault lines in their relationship which could not be overcome: 14 months after Bear was born, the couple announced their separation.
Cheryl confirmed she and Liam had sadly split in a tweet addressed to her Twitter followers in 2018.
She wrote: ‘We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
‘We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.’
Moments later Liam shared the same tweet with his own followers on the micro-blogging site.
It was also claimed that Cheryl considered moving out of Liam’s house FIVE months before their split was announced.
That same month, they put on a show of unity at the BRITs as they tried to make things work, then in April, the pair enjoyed a make or break trip to the Maldives.
According to The Sun, the couple had mutually agreed to separate a fortnight earlier, following months of speculation regarding the state of their relationship.
A source told the publication: ‘Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
‘But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.
‘He still cares for her and she cares for him. They still have an ongoing relationship together. They have a baby together.’
Liam spoke fondly of the former Girls Aloud singer while admitting that she had made the first move by ‘tickling him’ when they reunited on The X Factor in 2014.
‘Chez kind of made the first move on me if I’m honest. She tickled my hair. I thought “oh you’re into this”. And now look… a few years later…’ he told Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw.
The couple were plagued by split rumours after a surprise red carpet appearance at the BRITs – with fans claiming their body language looked forced.
Sources told MailOnline the pair were struggling to find quality time together, as they juggle their busy careers and care for their baby son.
The insider claimed their relationship was ‘strained’, as the former One Direction star was spending nights away from home and touring the world while she looked after Bear.
And a few weeks later in March, Liam shared a poignant video showing the father-and-son walking through a park together hand-in-hand
Talking about reports a split was imminent, he told The Evening Standard’s ES Magazine: ‘The funniest thing [about the speculation was that] a week before we were getting married. The next week we’re splitting up.’
‘For me, I just like to think we’re somewhere in the middle. You know, we have our struggles — like of course I’m not gonna sit here and say that everything’s absolutely fine and dandy, because of course you go through different things, and that’s what a relationship is.’
He went on to say that their rough patch was inevitable but they were focusing on riding the storm ‘together’.
‘There was always going to be a little bit of tenseness in the way we sort ourselves out, but tell me a relationship in the world that doesn’t go through a spot like that?’
Since their split six years ago, Liam and Cheryl have always spoken positively of one another, and remained on good terms as they co-parented their son.
Payne subsequently revealed the birth of their son had put their romance under strain, relating in a podcast interview in June 2022 how Bear’s arrival had ‘ruined’ his relationship ‘for all the right reasons’.
Speaking on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, the Strip That Down singer said he originally struggled with becoming a father at the tender age of 23, and detailed how Cheryl haemorrhaged ‘badly’ while giving birth.
He said: ‘I like to talk to other new dads. You don’t know what is coming and it’s different.
‘And to be honest with you, it ruined a relationship for me at that point but for all the right reasons. I was so excited for him to be born that I was actually worried if I wouldn’t love him enough.’
Describing Bear as ‘a lovely, lovely boy’, he praised his ex-partner, saying, ‘She is the best mum in the world, I couldn’t ask for someone better.’
Liam was also thought to live just three minutes’ drive away from Cheryl’s home in Buckinghamshire and saw his son frequently.
Cheryl and Liam also worked hard to keep their son out of the spotlight, with only occasional glimpses of him on social media posts, although in a rare insight in a 2019 interview, Cheryl fondly described herself as ‘the strict one’ and Payne as ‘much softer than me’.
There were said to be difficulties as a result of Payne’s well-documented struggles with alcohol and drugs about which the singer had been increasingly candid over the years. He talked of how he had turned to substance abuse to cope with the pressures of fame.
Cheryl – who has reverted to her maiden name – has always been vehemently against drug use after losing a childhood friend, budding footballer John Courtney, to a heroin overdose in 2005 when he was just 21.
In the book Cheryl Cole: The Unauthorised Biography, John’s mother Angie revealed that the former pop star wrote him a letter begging him not to destroy his life, and Ms Tweedy also spoke out herself about the impact his death had had.
‘It put me off drugs for life,’ she later said. ‘That nightmare devastated all John’s family and friends.’
When, in July last year, Payne revealed he had completed 100 days in a Louisiana rehab after hitting ‘rock bottom’, he thanked his ex for her support.
‘More than anything, I want to say thank you to [Bear] and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well in that moment because I had to,’ he said in a YouTube video.
Earlier this year, Liam shared a rare snap of Bear from behind, looking up at a billboard advertising for his new music.
The pop star captioned the sweet photo: ‘I want to be on a billboard one day daddy’.
A few weeks later in March, Liam shared a poignant video showing the father-and-son walking through a park together.
The heartbreaking clip showed Liam holding hands with his son, before letting go to ruffle the youngster’s hair.
Captioning the touching moment, the hitmaker wrote: ‘Bear is so tall’ followed by a teary-eyed emoji and a bear emoji.
Payne also recently made several rare comments about his little boy, as he commented again on how big he was getting.
While celebrating his 31st birthday at the end of August, he shared an Instagram video talking about Bear.
He said: ‘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.
The heartbreaking clip sees Liam ruffling the youngster’s hair, and he captioned it: ‘Bear is so tall’ followed by a teary-eyed emoji and a bear emoji
Payne previously revealed the birth of their son Bear had put their romance under strain
Both Liam and Cheryl have mainly kept their son out of the public eye, but he has made other previous comments on Bear in the past.
During an interview with People in 2022, the For You singer sweetly gushed that his son looks at him like ‘a superhero.’
‘I see him two times a week, three times a week sometimes. And I make sure when I see him, he has 100 percent of my time. I make sure that I’m not on my phone or dicking around somewhere else.’
Liam added: ‘So, I like to give him those moments and it’s important, he needs that in his life. He needs his dad in his life, and I’m happy he looks at me like a superhero, and I’m hoping to keep it that way.’
Liam began dating Cheryl in 2016 after her divorce from Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini and their son was born the following year, before they split in 2018.
After a brief relationship with supermodel, Naomi Campbell, the singer began dating Maya Henry in 2019 – and became engaged the next year.
However, in 2022, the couple officially went their separate ways and just days before Liam’s death, Maya had begun to take legal action against the star, accusing him of obsessive contact and ‘weaponizing’ his fans against her.
Not long after his passing, Maya broke her silence – with her representative telling DailyMail.com: ‘Right now she is obviously in shock.’
While Liam recently made several rare comments about his little boy, as he commented again on how big he was getting while celebrating his 31st birthday at the end of August
Up until his death, Liam had been in a relationship with Kate Cassidy, whom he started dating in October 2022.
His final Snapchat posts showed him posing with girlfriend Kate, only minutes before his death, after reportedly falling around 5pm (ART).
One image showed both Liam and Kate pausing for a mirror selfie together as well as another post where he looked into the camera and wrote: ‘Lovely day in Argentina.’
He shared an additional photo of him and Kate, which was captioned as ‘Quality time’ and showed their food, as he admitted: ‘We’ve been waking up at 1pm everyday.’
Liam also included a picture of an outdoor patio and penned: ‘Happy I got some time away,’ and he shared another where he revealed he was debating about being Forrest Gump for Halloween.
The family of singer Liam said on Thursday that they were ‘heartbroken’ by his death, adding that the former One Direction star will ‘forever live in our hearts’.
Liam’s relatives said in an emotional statement: ‘We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
‘We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’
His final Snapchat posts showed him posing with girlfriend Kate Cassidy, only minutes before his death, after reportedly falling around 5pm (ART)
One image showed both Liam and Kate pausing for a mirror selfie together as well as another post where he looked into the camera and wrote: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’
The family of singer Liam said on Thursday that they were ‘heartbroken’ by his death, adding that the former One Direction star will ‘forever live in our hearts’ (pictured in 2022)
Liam’s uncle Roger Harris also told MailOnline: ‘We are all just deeply saddened and trying to come to terms with it. I just hope everybody gives them some privacy really and allows them to come to terms with it. That’s all I can say.’
In addition, another relative speaking at Payne’s family home in Wolverhampton told MailOnline: ‘We are utterly devastated by the news.’
Tributes have been paid to the singer, with pictures showing shocked fans gathering outside the hotel after police cordoned off the area, with forensic investigators in white protective suits and blue gloves seen entering and leaving.
Fans were photographed lighting candles and leaving flowers at the side of the road in an impromptu vigil as they paid tribute to the music star.
Liam joined Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles to form boy band One Direction in 2010, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor.
The group won third place and went on to become a global sensation, with hits such as What Makes You Beautiful and Live While We’re Young.
After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world, with five albums and four world tours, they went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
While in Argentina, Liam had reunited with his former bandmate, Niall, as he went to watch his concert earlier this month.
Liam joined Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson , Niall Horan and Harry Styles to form boy band One Direction in 2010, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor (pictured in 2010)
Liam died instantly from multiple injuries after plunging to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony and fracturing his skull, with emergency services unable to save him at the scene (pictured last year)
Liam died instantly from multiple injuries after plunging to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony and fracturing his skull, with emergency services unable to save him at the scene.
His identity was confirmed by emergency services by checking his passport, but police do not yet have conclusive evidence regarding the circumstances of his fall.
Alberto Crescenti, a city ambulance service provider spokesman, stated that Liam had fallen 40 meters and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life.’
‘The alarm was raised at 5:04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur. At 5:11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.’
He added: ‘Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.’