Liam Payne Was Not ‘Able to See’ His Son Bear ‘Much’ in the Months Before His Death: ‘Heartbreaking’

A video of former One Direction singer Liam Payne from August gushing about his son, Bear, went viral after the singer’s death. But it has now been revealed that their relationship may have been distant prior to Liam’s death.

“I’m told that in recent months Liam had not been able to see Cheryl [Cole] and his son much, which must have been heartbreaking,” journalist Dan Wootton shared in a Wednesday, October 16, edition of his Dan Wootton Outspoken newsletter.

The resurfaced Snapchat video shared via X following the singer’s death on Wednesday showed Liam celebrating his birthday at a bowling alley on August 29.

“I didn’t get any dad socks yet. But I am going to speak to my son in a little bit, which I’m really excited about. Bless him,” he said in the video. “He’s getting so big now. He’s a big boy, and he looks like a mini-me, as if we need anymore me in the world.”

The Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, native had been open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, but according to Wootton, “his unlikely relationship with Cheryl Cole and the birth of their only child, Bear, seemed to provide the anchor to a happy post-1D life.”

“Before Bear turned 1, he told me, ‘Having a steady base at home is the best thing ever and Bear is such a lovely, happy, bubbly child. Chilled parents, chilled baby,’” he recalled. “‘It’s important for me and Cheryl to have our diaries in tune with each other so we can make sure our family time is prioritised. We’re doing little two-week stints away from each other but it was the toughest thing leaving Bear this time.’”

Liam and Cheryl, 41, met during his audition for X Factor when he was just 14 years old. Cheryl was a judge on the competition series at the time. Their relationship turned romantic in 2016 and they made their red carpet debut that May. Their son, Bear Grey Payne, was born on March 22, 2017.

The couple announced they had called it quits in July 2018 after two years of dating, saying “Cheryl and I 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.”

According to Wootton, the “very rocky end” of their relationship contributed to Liam’s “further decline.”

“They tried to make it work for a long time,” he added.

The “What Makes You Beautiful” singer died after falling from his third-floor hotel balcony while vacationing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. Hotel staff called 911 shortly after 5:00 p.m. local time, however, upon arrival authorities found Liam dead in the hotel’s internal courtyard.

“There was no possibility of resuscitating him,” authorities said. “He had extremely severe injuries that were incompatible with life due to the fall.”

Liam was just 31 years old.