The love for his son Bear, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, the fight against addictions, the problems with his ex Maya Henry: the most private side of Liam Payne

Liam Payne, who died at just 31 years old after falling from the third floor in circumstances yet to be clarified of a hotel in Buenos Aires, had a complex private life behind him. After a long fight against alcohol and drug addictionin July 2023 he announced that he was six months sober. And for two years now, thanks to his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, he seemed to have found serenity even in matters of the heart. Kate had gone on holiday to Argentina with Liam. But on Monday 14 October, two days before Payne’s death, who knows why she had chosen to return home to Miami alone. So much so that some international observers hypothesize that there had been an argument between the couple. True or not, the two – as also demonstrated by the photos published on their social profiles – despite some back and forth seemed happy. And together they also faced the bad kidney infection that forced the singer to cancel his tour in Latin America last year.

Before, in Liam’s heart, there had been another important woman, Cheryl Cole, who in 2017, after two years of love, made him a father. Liam had announced the birth of small Bear Grey on Instagram, with a touching post: «I am incredibly happy to welcome my baby in the world, it’s a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life and it’s my favorite memory so far.” In 2018, however, Cheryl and Liam announced their split: «We are sad to announce that we will be going our separate ways. It was a difficult decision to make. We still love each other so much as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect your privacy as we navigate this moment together.” Despite the goodbye Payne And Colealso for the sake of their son, they had managed to maintain a good relationship. Bear, for the singer, was the “center of life”: “I dedicate one hundred percent of my attention to him when we are together”, he explained in an interview some time ago. Adding that he and his ex-partner wanted “as normal a childhood as possible” for the child, now seven years old. The last (rare) post dedicated by Liam to Bear dates back to last March. A photo in which the little boy, seen from behind, looks at an advertising billboard featuring the famous father.

After the breakup with Cheryl, mother of his only and beloved son, Liam found a new love in 2019: the American model Maya Henry. The two, in 2020, seemed one step away from getting married: “He asked her as his wife with an impressive ring worth three million pounds”, wrote the international gossip at the time. Instead of the wedding, the news of the breakup arrived a few months later. And last July Maya had accused the singer of stalk her with constant harassing calls and messages: «Since we broke up he has been sending me messages, clogging up my phone… he always calls me from different phone numbers», he revealed. Not only that: in the novel Looking Forward Henry, narrating the relationship between a model and a pop singer, had told episodes of violence and pressure to have the protagonist have an abortion: «It is a fictional story, but inspired by real events», the woman clarified.

In a video published on October 6, Maya, without explicitly mentioning Liam, also said: «I hear my phone exploding with callsAlso from different numbers. I never know where the next call will come from, and he often sends me emails too. Not only to me, but also to my mother. Is this normal behavior in your opinion? Then, just a few days before the tragedy Payne’s deathMaya had sent the singer, through her lawyers, a letter of formal notice. Sources close to the former member of the One Direction they just revealed a People that Liam he was overwhelmed by all the legal issues” involving his ex.

It is still early to officially know the causes of Payne’s death. The authorities have opened an investigation, and an autopsy will be carried out on his body (it seems that it was in an altered state at the time of death). While waiting to understand whether it was a voluntary gesture or an accidental fall, the singer’s family he released to MailOnline a touching statement: «We are destroyed. Liam will live forever in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and courageous soul. We are supporting each other as best we can as a family and ask for space and privacy during this horrible time.”