Liam Payne's Legacy: Cheryl Vows Their Son Bear Will Never Forget His Dad After Tragic Loss

Liam Payne has been laid to rest, more than a month following his tragic death.

Loved ones came together to pay their respects and bid farewell to Liam, in a memorial ceremony that took place on Wednesday, November 20, in the Home Counties, United Kingdom.

Among those in attendance were former One Direction stars Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan, as well as Liam's former girlfriend Cheryl Cole.

A touching floral tribute with the word "Daddy" was placed by the funeral directors. Cole and Payne, parents to a seven-year-old boy named Bear Grey, had once been in a relationship that began in 2016 and ended after two years.

According to an insider who spoke to the Daily Mail, "Friends say Cheryl has vowed to ensure Bear will never forget his father."

Speculations also suggest that the Girls Aloud star helped in organizing the event with her Liam's devastated parents, Geoff and Karen Payne.

In a heartfelt interview conducted prior to Liam's death passing, Cole spoke fondly of her former boyfriend, praising his dedication as a "great father" to their son.

In a 2019 conversation with The Telegraph, she expressed admiration for Liam's gentle parenting style, contrasting it with her own. She recalled how Bear effortlessly charmed his father, leaving her to play the role of the stricter parent.

"Liam is a great dad. He's much softer than me," she said. "I'm the strict one; Liam isn't. I'll be the one saying, 'Just one square of chocolate,' but Bear is so good. If I get cross with him he puts his little hands on my face and looks into my eyes to see if I'm deadly serious or a tiny bit cross, and it melts my heart."

Cole and Payne's relationship ended a year following Bear's birth.

When asked about the reason behind their separation, Cole cryptically replied during the same interview, "Who says it was me?"

Although she maintained ambiguity regarding the specifics, she mentioned their commitment to peacefully co-parenting.

Cole explained, "If that means there's no screaming and shouting, and you both still manage to get on because you have a baby, then yes."

"When you have a baby, you are not consumed with just thinking about yourself. It's your responsibility to keep things settled and happy, so you make the best of everything. And we have," she went on.

On October 16, Payne tragically passed away in Argentina after a fall from a third-floor hotel balcony. His visit to Buenos Aires was to support his bandmate Niall during a concert, and he was accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who had left just two days prior to the tragedy.

Payne had shared glimpses of his time in Argentina with his girlfriend through Snapchat videos before the heartbreaking news of his death.

Tags

Liam Payne, One Direction