Liam Payne and Cheryl's doomed love story timeline and selfless agreement over son Bear

Although they divided up six years ago, Cheryl remained a immense portion of Liam Payne's beingness close up until the end.

The Girls Aloud prima volition beryllium among those mourning the One Direction prima contiguous arsenic he's laid to rest. Known arsenic 'Chiam' to fans, the 2 singers met done ITV's The X Factor - erstwhile the astir fashionable endowment amusement connected telly - and from the extracurricular astatine least, their narration couldn't person been much perfect.

The erstwhile mates confirmed their romance successful 2016, soon aft Cheryl's divorce, and went connected to invited lad Bear the pursuing year. But it wasn't meant to be.

The amicable exes committed themselves to co-parenting Bear arsenic a team, which they continued until Liam's tragic decease past period astatine the property of conscionable 31. Liam, whose ceremonial volition instrumentality spot today, died connected October 16 after plunging from a third-floor balcony astatine a edifice successful the Argentinian metropolis of Buenos Aires.

In the aftermath of Liam's death, Cheryl, 41, paid tribute to the antheral she'd erstwhile been successful emotion with, reminding fans that helium was 'not lone a popular prima and celebrity' but besides 'a son, a brother, an uncle, a beloved person and a father'. Here, the Mirror takes a look backmost astatine Liam and Cheryl's emotion communicative from their now-famous archetypal gathering to going their abstracted ways.

Meeting connected The X Factor

2008: Liam wowed the judges astatine the 2008 X Factor auditions with his rendition of Fly Me To The Moon. He was 14, portion his aboriginal emotion was 10 years older. "I similar you, I deliberation you're truly cute," Cheryl told him aft Simon Cowell knocked him for not being 'fun' enough. She added: "You've got charisma, you gave america that small cheeky wink!"

2010: Liam returned to The X Factor and blew the judges distant 2 years aft his archetypal audition. Impressed, Cheryl told him afterwards: "You've decidedly got it. Whatever it is, you've got it. And your dependable is truly powerful." This time, Liam got done arsenic a subordinate of the freshly formed One Direction and was placed successful Simon's category.

Cheryl, meanwhile, was recovering from malaria and linked to her Parachute creation spouse Derek Hough successful the aftermath of her heartbreaking divorcement from Ashley Cole.

Reunion and emotion blossoms

2015: Cheryl and Liam reunited astatine The X Factor last erstwhile One Direction appeared for 1 of their past performances earlier their hiatus. The brace were spotted hugging during an advertisement break, but the pictures didn't travel to airy for a fewer much weeks.

2016: Cheryl filed for divorcement from her French husband, citing irreconcilable differences successful the authoritative paperwork. Although her decree nisi didn't travel done until October, Cheryl began carving retired a beingness for herself arsenic a azygous pistillate earlier connected successful the year.

When Liam archetypal shared a photograph of his caller manus tattoo, it didn't look to beryllium peculiarly significant. As clip went on, however, it became wide that this assemblage creation was a wide tribute to Cheryl's roseate tattoo, inked connected her bottom. Amid speculation that helium and Cheryl were getting person successful the aftermath of their respective splits, successful February of that year, Liam posted a representation of a roseate connected his Instagram, captioning it: "Happy Valentine's Day baby."

When quality of their narration yet broke successful May 2016, erstwhile the mates appeared unneurotic astatine the Global Gift Gala successful Cannes, not everyone believed they were the existent deal. Then, 2 days later, Liam confirmed they were an point by changing his Instagram illustration representation to a saccharine couple's snap.

Instagram official

2016: In March 2016, Liam shared a loved-up representation of him and Cheryl connected his Instagram. One week later, helium posted different throwback drawback of Cheryl to people International Women's Day, telling his fans that she was his "favourite pistillate successful the world", adding that helium hoped helium made her arsenic blessed arsenic she made him.

It wasn't each plain sailing, however, and successful April of that year, Cheryl was forced to contradict reports she cheated connected Jean-Bernard with Liam towards the extremity of her marriage. She tweeted: "If anybody believes the s**t they're speechmaking today, you truly don't cognize maine astatine all."

In May 2016, Liam and Cheryl made their first authoritative reddish carpet-appearance astatine Cannes, wherever they appeared smitten. They besides shared much of their backstage snaps via their respective societal accounts.

By November of that year, Cheryl had parted ways with her absorption institution Modest Management amid rumours that she was acceptable to motorboat her solo comeback successful aboriginal 2017. Modest besides looked aft One Direction until the set divided successful January 2016.

That aforesaid month, the mates made an quality astatine the St James Christmas Carol Concert. successful London, wherever Cheryl wore a khaki greenish formal that showed her salient bump. Although the brace kept quiescent astir their blessed news, fans were speedy to explicit their excitement.

Cheryl falls pregnant

2016: Cheryl reportedly confirmed her gestation to friends and family successful precocious November of that year. However, sources adjacent to her clarified she wouldn't beryllium making a nationalist statement.

2017: On March 25, 2017, Cheryl announced she'd fixed commencement to her and Liam's child, sharing a representation of Liam holding their caller babe son. They announced their prime of sanction - Bear - but, mindful of his presumption arsenic a personage child, opted not to stock immoderate pictures of his face.

Taking to Instagram astatine the time, Cheryl wrote: "On Wednesday 22nd March Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, steadfast babe boy, weighing 7lb 9 and looking similar a dream. Although helium inactive doesn't person a sanction helium is already stealing hearts. We are each madly successful emotion and overwhelmingly blessed with our small arrival. Happy Mother's Day to each the mothers astir the world. A time that present has a antithetic meaning to maine forever."

Relationship problems

2017: In October 2017, aft a summertime of promotional interviews for his archetypal solo album, Liam revealed astatine the Pride of Britain Awards that helium wasn't going to beryllium spending overmuch clip with Cheryl and Bear implicit Christmas owed to enactment commitments.

He told The Mirror: "Cheryl is astatine location with him [Bear] present and my parents are connected the mode over, they're going to walk a week with america which is truly bully due to the fact that I'm not going to get to spot them overmuch successful December truthful I told them they should travel backmost and bent retired with us."

2018: Just 11 months aft Bear's arrival, quality broke that the mates were reportedly having problems owed to not spending capable clip together. With Liam distant moving a lot, Cheryl was reportedly near with the bulk of childcare duties astatine home.

"There are precise existent strains of trying to accommodate to parenthood whilst being successful the spotlight and having to look arsenic though everything is rosy each of the time," a root told the Daily Mail successful February 2018. "It's is just to accidental astatine the infinitesimal determination is simply a batch of unit connected some her and Liam. Being isolated isn't helping that."

Bold statement

2018: Although they didn't remark connected the divided rumours, the mates made a precise nationalist connection by attending the Brit Awards unneurotic successful February 2018. They appeared adjacent arsenic they walked the reddish carpet, but were aboriginal pictured looking glum arsenic they near the bash.

In March of that aforesaid year, Liam admitted helium and Cheryl were having "struggles" and admitted that not everything was "fine and dandy". "The funniest happening was a week earlier we were getting married. The adjacent week we're splitting up," helium told the Evening Standard's ES magazine.

"And the happening for maine is, I conscionable similar to deliberation we're determination successful the middle. You know, we person our struggles — like, of course, I'm not gonna beryllium present and accidental that everything's perfectly good and dandy because, of course, you spell done antithetic things, and that's what a narration is." It's the archetypal clip either of them had acknowledged the rumours swirling astir their relationship.

Candid truths

2018: Liam admitted he'd felt 'pushed out' by his son's commencement during a May 2018 interrogation with Hashtag Legend. "A parent and kid is the astir beauteous happening to watch, but they're the closest happening ever - and you'll ne'er beryllium arsenic close," helium told the publication. "A batch of dads consciousness enactment retired successful that sense. I didn't truly consciousness enactment out, but I was like, 'Where's my place?'. I was hopeless to find retired what I was meant to do."

He continued: "For maine arsenic a dad, you're conscionable taking attraction of everything arsenic overmuch arsenic you can, making definite he's got a grin connected his face. And if you navigator for her, she feeds him, truthful you're cooking for everyone – that's what my happening was. As daft arsenic it sounds, cooking really got maine done fatherhood due to the fact that it made maine consciousness useful, alternatively than being the feline who conscionable gets handed to alteration his nappy and marque him laughter and giggle."

Sad split

2018: Liam ended up successful blistery h2o during a unrecorded vigor interrogation successful May 2018, arsenic helium told presenter Nick Grimshaw that Cheryl was "in the toilet". He past said: "Oh, she's coming retired now, 1 second. Let's find retired what's going on. First off, was it a fig 1 oregon two?" earlier laughing. "Erm, she says 'stop it'." A root said astatine the clip she was furious with Liam for humiliating her, and immoderate fans viewed this arsenic the past straw.

In July of that year, the brace announced they were splitting up aft 2 and a fractional years unneurotic but vowed to stay adjacent portion co-parenting their son. A connection read: "We are bittersweet to denote that we are going our abstracted ways. It's been a pugnacious determination for america to make. We inactive person truthful overmuch emotion for each different arsenic a family. Bear is our satellite and we inquire that you respect his privateness arsenic we navigate our mode done this together."

In November, Cheryl besides declared she was 'done' with dating aft 2 failed marriages and her divided from Liam. During an quality connected Jessie Ware's Table Manners podcast, she explained: "I cognize what I privation successful life, but successful the romanticist area, I americium not arsenic evolved. That country has stopped. It's not happening anymore. It's the end. It's the end. I've got the antheral [Bear] successful my beingness now."

Faithful admission

2018 In a frank interrogation with The Sunday Times' Style magazine, Cheryl asserted that Liam was 'the lone antheral who has ever been faithful to her'.

Cheryl, who hasn't gone nationalist with different narration successful the years since she and Liam split, besides expressed joyful contentment successful her beingness arsenic a azygous mum to young Bear. In a saccharine reflection connected the happiness she's recovered successful motherhood, Cheryl explained: "I'm fulfilled. I'm not looking for thing immoderate more. I'm whole. I've got the antheral of my dreams."

Sperm donor search

2020: In January 2020, Cheryl announced she was looking for a sperm donor for babe two. She told The Times of her plans to conceive "more than 1 child" via a sperm donor, portion revealing that she was consenting to spell overseas to find the close outcome.

Liam responded by with enactment for Cheryl's plan. "He gave Cheryl his afloat blessing – insisting he'd enactment her nevertheless helium could and making her consciousness astatine easiness with her determination by letting her cognize they'd beryllium 1 large blended family," a root told New magazine.

They added: "Cheryl's travel to bid with the determination to find a sperm donor and she's hopeless to autumn large with twins – insisting that fixed she wants 2 much children, it volition beryllium acold easier to bash it erstwhile than spell done the process again down the line."

Co-parenting together

2020: Liam commented connected an aged clip of his X Factor audition successful a May 2020 interrogation with Esquire, remarking: "Let's code the elephant successful the room… Obviously, the aboriginal parent of my lad is sat successful that chair." Cheryl reportedly wasn't happy that he'd brought it up.

2022: That aforesaid month, Liam touched connected the breakdown of his narration aft having Bear interrogation with US YouTuber Logan Paul. He shared: "To beryllium honorable with you, it ruined a narration astatine that constituent – but for each the close reasons. I was truthful excited for him to beryllium calved that I was really disquieted if I wouldn't emotion him enough."

He besides revealed that it had been scary erstwhile Bear was archetypal calved arsenic Cheryl had "haemorrhaged rather badly" aft the birth. This meant she had to remainder for overmuch of Bear's archetypal time successful the satellite – leaving a young Liam to attraction for his babe son. "It was maine and a babe successful the room, and I had to instrumentality attraction of him. It was fun," helium said.

Discussing his father-son narration with Bear and the co-parenting statement helium has with Cheryl, Liam added: "I instrumentality my lad to schoolhouse 1 oregon 2 times a week, and it's the champion thing. The narration we [him and Cheryl] person present arsenic friends has lone grown more. We broke up for a reason, and present she gives maine afloat autonomy of my beingness and to bash what I do, and I cognize he's [Bear's] taken attraction of. He is each she cares about, and I couldn't inquire for more."

2024: In March of this year, Liam offered a uncommon glimpse into his household life. He posted an Instagram showing Bear successful a yellowish overgarment looking astatine a billboard advertizing his dad's caller music. The caption read, "I privation to beryllium connected a billboard 1 day, Daddy."

At the time, an insider told OK! that Liam was acceptable for a caller start, revealing: "We don't spot a batch of Bear connected Liam's societal media, but I deliberation helium wants to beryllium to Cheryl that he's getting his beingness together. He truly wants to beryllium a bully dad, and with Cheryl present going backmost connected circuit with Girls Aloud, she'll beryllium busier than ever and won't beryllium astatine location arsenic much."

Tragic extremity and drugs 'nightmare'

2024 In the aftermath of his fatal fall, toxicology tests recovered traces of alcohol, cocaine and an antidepressant successful the star's system. In life, Liam had spoken candidly astir the issues he'd had with drugs, and fans had hoped he'd flooded his substance issues.

Opening up astir darker times successful his beingness connected a 2022 occurrence of the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, Liam recalled: "I was disquieted however acold my stone bottommost was going to be. Where's stone bottommost for me? And you would ne'er person seen it. I'm precise bully astatine hiding it. No 1 would ever person seen it."

Cheryl has agelong been vocal successful her beardown aversion to cause use, with the devastating decease of a beloved puerility person to a heroin overdose driving location conscionable however unsafe specified substances tin be. Budding footballer John Courtney was conscionable 21 years aged erstwhile helium passed distant from an overdose successful 2005, and the nonaccomplishment affected Cheryl profoundly.

Cheryl aboriginal said: "It enactment maine disconnected drugs for life. That nightmare devastated each John's household and friends." In the days that followed Liam's death, heartbroken Cheryl issued the pursuing statement: "As I effort to navigate this earth-shattering lawsuit and enactment done my ain grief astatine this indescribably achy time, I'd similar to kindly punctual everyone that we person mislaid a quality being.

"Liam was not lone a popular prima and celebrity, helium was a son, a brother, an uncle, a beloved person and a begetter to our 7 twelvemonth aged son. A lad that present has to look the world of ne'er seeing his begetter again."

She continued: "What is troubling my tone the astir is that 1 time Bear volition person entree to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we person seen successful the past 2 days. It is breaking my bosom further that I cannot support him from that successful his future.

"I americium begging you to see what usage immoderate of these reports are serving different than to origin further harm to everyone near down picking up the pieces. Before you permission comments oregon marque videos, inquire yourself if you would similar your ain kid oregon household to work them. Please springiness Liam the small dignity helium has near successful the aftermath of his decease to remainder successful immoderate bid astatine last. Thank you, Cheryl."

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