Girls Aloud star Cheryl spoke candidly about drug use following a tragedy close to her heart.
It’s been more than two weeks since the shocking death of Liam Payne, who tragically died after falling from the third floor of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Liam is survived by his loved ones, including his seven-year-old son Bear, who he shared with his ex-girlfriend Cheryl.
Cheryl and Liam first met when Liam auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, but their romantic relationship didn’t start until almost 10 years later. After dating for two years, they parted ways in 2018 but continued to co-parent their son amicably, with Liam often praising Cheryl for being a wonderful mother.
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In his final years, Liam was open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. He confessed to having a wild “pills and booze phase” during his sudden rise to fame as a teenager and admitted he hit “rock bottom” at the height of his success.
In 2023, he shared a YouTube video revealing that he was nearly six months sober after spending almost 100 days in rehab. Cheryl has always been vehemently against drug use after tragically losing her childhood friend to a heroin overdose in 2005.
Her friend, John Courtney, was an aspiring footballer and was only 21 when he died. Cheryl later revealed: “It put me off drugs for life. That nightmare devastated all John’s family and friends.”
After the heartbreaking death of Liam, Cheryl shared an unseen photo of him with their son on Instagram and made a heartfelt plea regarding the tragedy. She asked for kindness and respect for Liam as she underscored the harsh reality that both she and their son Bear now face.
Her post read: “As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being. Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity; he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven-year-old son.
“A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again. What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past two days. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future.”
Liam and Cheryl parted ways in 2018 and revealed the heartbreaking news to fans on social media. They said: “Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
Following their split, in a 2022 interview with US YouTuber Logan Paul, Liam discussed their friendship, saying: “The relationship we have now as friends has only grown more. We broke up for a reason and now she gives me full autonomy of my life and to do what I do and I know he’s taken care of. He is all she cares about and I couldn’t ask for more.”
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