Fans around the world were shocked to hear that Liam Payne, a former member of the popular boy band One Direction, died after falling from the third floor of an Argentinian hotel. Local police are currently investigating the incident.
Liam James Payne, born in 1993, is an English singer and songwriter. He became known to the audience at the age of 14, when he participated in the British version of "The X-Factor", then became a member of the boy band One Direction in 2010.
After One Direction announced their hiatus in 2015, Payne pursued a successful solo career.
During his lifetime, Payne was famous for his relationship with singer Cheryl Cole, who was 10 years older than him. They also had a child together.
Payne and Cole first met in 2008, during an audition for "The X-Factor." At the time, Cheryl Cole was 24 years old and was sitting in the judges' box.
They met again in 2010, when Liam Payne re-entered the talent show with the band One Direction. Cheryl was responsible for mentoring the boys.
Before meeting Liam Payne, the British singer had been through two marriages. She married footballer Ashley Cole but divorced in 2010. Cheryl's second husband was French businessman Fernandez-Versin. They married in 2014 and divorced in December 2015.
During this time, Liam Payne was also happy with his girlfriend Sophia Smith. The couple dated for more than 2 and a half years before breaking up in October 2015.
When they met again at "The X-Factor 2015", Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole became even closer. He showed off a tattoo of 3 roses on his arm that was identical to the tattoo on Cheryl's butt, causing the online community to suspect that the two were dating.
In February 2016, the couple made their relationship public, walking together at entertainment events. Liam and Cheryl's love story is admired by many people. They met many years ago, but went through many ups and downs before being together.
In February 2017, Cheryl gave birth to a son with Liam Payne, affectionately named Bear. However, the couple began to have cracks, leading to a breakup a year later.
Speaking to YouTuber Logan Paul about the relationship breakdown, Liam shared that he "didn't know what was going on" and struggled with becoming a father at 23.
However, the singer still praised his ex-wife, especially her mothering skills. He called Cheryl "the best mother in the world".
"We still have a lot of love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we go through this together," the singer said.
Cheryl and Payne decided never to reveal Bear's face to help him stay out of the spotlight. "I take him to school once or twice a week and it's the best thing," he happily said.
Despite their split, Cheryl and Payne remain close friends and are not shy about talking about each other in interviews. Payne is also praised as a responsible father who always gives his son the best.
