Liam Payne has been laid to rest, more than a month after his tragic death.
Loved ones came together to pay their respects and bid farewell to Liam in a memorial service that took place on Wednesday, November 20, in the Home Counties, UK.
Among those in attendance were former One Direction stars Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan, as well as Liam’s ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.
A touching floral tribute bearing the word “Dad” was placed by the funeral directors. Cole and Payne, parents of a seven-year-old boy named Bear Gray, were 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 make sure Bear never forgets his father.”
Speculation also suggested that the Girls Aloud star helped organize the event alongside Liam’s devastated parents, Geoff and Karen Payne.
In a heartfelt interview conducted before Liam’s death, Cole spoke fondly of her ex-boyfriend, praising his dedication as an “amazing father” to their son .
Liam Payne shared this heartbreaking message about his son Bear before he died.
The One Direction star spoke of his pride for Bear, his seven-year-old son with Cheryl Cole, and vowed to have ‘a life together’. pic.twitter.com/L7LPzN8NrH
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) October 17, 2024
In a 2019 conversation with The Telegraph, she expressed admiration for Liam’s gentle parenting style, which contrasts with her own. She recalls how Bear easily seduced his father, allowing her to play the role of the stricter father.
“Liam is a great dad. He’s a lot softer than me,” she said. “I’m a strict person; Liam isn’t. I’ll be the one to say, ‘Just one square of chocolate,’ but Bear is great. If I’m upset with him, he puts his little hands on my face and looking into my eyes to see if I’m deadly serious or a little cranky, and it melts my heart.”
Cole and Payne’s relationship ended a year after Bear was born.
When asked about the reason behind their breakup, Cole cryptically responded in the same interview, “Who said it was me?”
While she remained vague on specifics, she did mention their commitment to peacefully co-parenting.
Cole explains, “If that means there’s no screaming and you both still try to move on because you have kids, then yes.”
She continued: “When you have children, you don’t just think about yourself. It’s your responsibility to keep things stable and happy, so you make the best of everything. And we did just that.” there”.
On October 16, Payne tragically died in Argentina after a fall from a third-floor hotel balcony. His visit to Buenos Aires was to support band member Niall at a concert, and he was accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who left just two days before the tragedy.
Payne 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