Liam Payne, former One Direction member and devoted father, has tragically died at the age of 31. He leaves behind his fiancée, Maya Henry, along with Cheryl Ann Tweedy, the mother of his son, Bear Grey Payne.
Despite battling substance abuse, Payne’s love for his son never wavered. In conversations with People, he shared his aspiration to become a father at a young age, even though he faced challenges adjusting to parenthood. Payne was committed to being present for Bear, saying, “I make sure when I see him, he has 100% of my time.”
Liam Payne’s Bond with His Son Bear
Both Liam and Cheryl, who is known simply as Cheryl, took great care to shield Bear from excessive public exposure. They were mindful of their son’s privacy, choosing only to post glimpses of him on social media. However, as Bear grows older, his presence in the public sphere is likely to increase.
When Bear Grey Payne arrived in March 2017, his parents initially struggled to agree on a name. A few months after his birth, Payne shared in an interview with Total Access that naming him wasn’t easy. “I preferred a traditional name, while she wanted something unique,” he explained. Cheryl suggested Bear because she believed the name would be unforgettable. “When you leave a room, you won’t forget the name Bear—and I liked that,” Payne revealed (via People).
Bear was born with a minor health condition, which might have influenced the choice of his name. Payne explained that his son would build up fluid in his lungs if he didn’t cry frequently. He recalled how medical staff examined Bear, only to conclude that the baby was perfectly healthy but simply vocal. “He just likes to make noise,” Payne joked, noting how this trait inspired the name Bear.
In a YouTube video, Payne credited Bear and Cheryl for supporting his journey to sobriety by giving him the space to heal. Their encouragement provided him with the freedom to focus on getting better.
Payne often marveled at how much Bear resembled him. He told People that relatives sometimes mistook his baby photos for Bear’s, saying, “They’d look at my old pictures and think Bear looked amazing there.” Like many children, Bear developed a love for Christmas, especially after watching Home Alone with his dad. Payne recounted how Bear’s favorite phrase became, “Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.”
Bear also appreciated having well-known parents, though Cheryl hoped he could enjoy a normal childhood. She shared with British Vogue how Bear once said, “How lucky am I to have famous parents?” He delighted in hearing his father’s unreleased tracks and would proudly recognize them on the radio. Bear even expressed dreams of following in his father’s footsteps, telling him, “I want to be on a billboard one day, just like you, daddy.”
