Teamwork makes the dream work! although Cheryl Cole And Liam Payne‘s romance didn’t pan out, they’ve remained devoted co-parents to their son, Bear.
The former Girls Aloud performer and Payne began dating in February 2015, almost two years before Cole confirmed her pregnancy.
“My close friends and family know I’m rarely speechless… wow!” the One Direction alum captioned an Instagram photo with his newborn son in March 2017. “I am incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favorite memory I have so far. I am completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has endured this all the way, she has truly made my dreams come true. We haven’t given him a name yet, but he’s already conquering hearts, including mine. I feel very blessed. Happy Mother’s Day everyone!”
After being together for more than two years, the couple announced their separation in July 2018.
“Cheryl and I are sad to announce we are going our separate ways,” the “Strip That Down” crooner tweeted at the time. “It has been a difficult decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate this together.”
Since then, the natives of England have continued to co-parent and marvel at Bear’s many milestones along the way.
“Sometimes he tries his mom out a little bit and I’m like, ‘Bear, stop it,'” Payne shared exclusively. Us weekly in May 2019, noting that he and the first x factor judge was “very lucky” with a good little one. “He just wouldn’t listen to me today. … He just wants to silence me with his hand. He says, ‘Give me a minute. I’m busy.'”
He continued: “My mom brought all my old toys home, and then one day Cheryl came to my house and she said, ‘Oh, he plays with this red car all the time. It was yours.’ I was like, ‘Is it a Jaguar?’ And it was my favorite car when I was [young]. So he’s literally a little bit me.”
In addition to raising Bear, the “Bedroom Floor” musician eventually moved on Maya Henryengaged in August 2020. After a brief split in June 2021, the couple reconciled in October. Us later confirmed in May 2022 that they broke up for good amid pictures of Payne getting cozy with another woman.
“I love all the fans so much, but please stop sending me these pictures of my fiancé wrapped around another woman,” the Texas native wrote via Instagram at the time. “This isn’t me and it’s hard enough knowing this happened without seeing it. Enough now.”
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Scroll below for more honest quotes from Cole and Payne about co-parenting: