Liam Payne and ex Cheryl's heartbreak behind fresh start for son Bear before star's tragic death

Before his heartbreaking demise at the young age of 31, Liam Payne had rekindled a relationship with former girlfriend Cheryl for the benefit of their treasured son Bear.

Tragically, the ex-One Direction member lost his life after plummeting from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was vacationing with his partner, Kate Cassidy. The pair had recently enjoyed a performance by Niall Horan, Liam's former bandmate from 1D.

Emergency responders, including police, firefighters, and ambulances, were spotted outside the hotel following Liam's dreadful fall. Witnesses say authorities responded to reports of an individual behaving erratically at the hotel, who might have been influenced by substances.

A deceased individual was discovered in the hotel's inner courtyard. Hotel management reportedly notified the police.

Liam is thought to have fallen around 13 or 14 meters, suffering "very serious injuries incompatible with life.", reports the Mirror .

Meanwhile, ambulance service spokesperson Alberto Crescenti indicated that the height of the fall was approximately 40 meters, causing "severe injuries which were incompatible with life."

Liam Payne, who became a father at 23 to son Bear with former partner Cheryl in 2017, experienced a split from Cheryl the next year after two and a half years together. Despite their separation, Cheryl, now 40, and Liam have been co-parenting, although Liam has seldom been seen with Bear over the past seven years.

However, in March this year, Liam delighted fans by posting an adorable photo of Bear on Instagram, showing the youngster in a yellow jacket gazing at a billboard featuring his dad's latest music project. The caption alongside the image read, "I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy."

An insider disclosed that following his breakup with Cheryl and overcoming personal challenges, including rehab and mental health issues, Liam was eager for a new beginning, as reported by OK!

. "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 commented.

"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."

This desire for a fresh start comes as Liam Payne aims to demonstrate to Cheryl that he is prepared to play a significant role in their son Bear's life, according to a source, after enduring considerable emotional pain. Liam, who has openly spoken about the "scars" left from achieving fame at a young age and hitting "hit rock bottom" when the band split in 2016, confessed that it was actually the arrival of Bear that marked the end of his romantic journey with Cheryl.

Liam Payne and Cheryl first crossed paths when he auditioned for The X Factor at the tender age of 14. Fast forward to February 2016, they confirmed their romantic relationship.

Cheryl kept fans on tenterhooks for months before finally revealing her pregnancy during a L'Oreal photoshoot, where she was seen cradling her baby bump in a form-fitting black dress. On Mother's Day 2017, the couple announced the birth of their baby with identical Instagram posts featuring Liam holding their newborn.

However, their love story was not meant to last, as Liam later disclosed that they started having issues after the arrival of their son, Bear.

In a podcast interview in June 2022, Liam described Bear as "a lovely, lovely boy" and lauded his ex-partner, stating, "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better."

However, he also admitted that Bear's birth "ruined" his relationship with Cheryl "for all the right reasons". In the previous year, the former One Direction member confessed that he spent 100 days in a specialized rehab facility in Louisiana to address his past traumas.

He stated: "I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually, because I kind of became somebody who I didn't really recognise any more."