Liam Payne is trying to show ex Cheryl he’s ready to be a big part of their son Bear’s life, a source tells new
Isobel Pankhurst
Liam Payne and his former girlfriend Cheryl haven’t had the easiest of journeys together. Their short-lived romance saw them welcome a son, Bear, in March 2017, when Liam was just 23, but the pair split the following year, after two and a half years together.
Cheryl, 40, and Liam, 30, have been co-parenting since, but fans have seen next to nothing of Liam with his son over the past seven years. So, when he recently shared an adorable photo of his little boy – a rare glimpse into Liam’s family life – it was greeted with great delight.
The snap, posted on Liam’s Instagram page, showed little Bear in a yellow jacket looking at a billboard advertising his father’s new music. The caption read, “I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy.”
Now, a source has told new that, following the breakdown of his relationship with Cheryl and a tumultuous few years, including a stint in rehab and mental health struggles, they think Liam seems ready for a fresh start.
“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. “He really wants to be a good dad and with Cheryl now going back on tour with Girls Aloud, she’ll be busier than ever and won’t be at home as much.”
Of course, that fresh start comes following a lot of heartache. Liam – who previously said he had been left with “scars” after finding fame so young, and “hit rock bottom” when the band broke up in 2016 – admitted it was actually Bear’s arrival that signalled the end of his relationship with Cheryl.
Liam and Cheryl first met when he auditioned for The X Factorat 14 – and in February 2016 the pair confirmed they were dating.
Cheryl later kept fans guessing for months before revealing her pregnancy at a L’Oréal photoshoot in which she posed in a close-fitting black dress and cradled her bump. The couple confirmed the birth of their baby on Mother’s Day 2017, posting identical Instagram posts of Liam cradling their newborn.
But their love story wasn’t destined to last, and Liam later revealed that the pair began to struggle following Bear’s arrival.
Opening up on a podcast in June 2022, he said that Bear was “a lovely, lovely boy” and praised his ex, saying, “She is the best mum in the world, I couldn’t ask for
