The Sweet Promise Liam Payne's Former Bandmate Made To His Son Bear
The death of Liam Payne sent shockwaves around the world. Liam was only 31 at the time of his death, and the singer leaves behind his son, Bear Grey, whom he shared custody of with ex-partner Cheryl Cole. The surviving One Direction members came together and took to Instagram to honor their ex-bandmate and friend with heartwarming photos of the members when they were in the world's biggest boy band together.
One member had a heartfelt message for Liam and a sweet promise to his son, Bear. "Liam was ... the most vital part of One Direction," the message said. "I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn't meant to be. I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was ... Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X."
The member who wrote this touching Instagram post for his best lad was none other than Louis Tomlinson. Although Payne and Tomlinson admitted to hating each other when they first met, Payne had shared that they had become best mates, and in March 2023, after attending the premiere of Tomlinson's documentary "All of Those Voices," Payne regretted not being around more for Tomlinson. On Instagram, he wrote (via Us Weekly), "I'm so thankful to have you in my life ... you dragged me out of something ... your approach is something I admire and aspire to so I can one day do the same." Their bond seems to have been truly something special.
Although Liam Payne's life may have been tumultuous, his love for Bear was absolutely unwavering.
Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole welcomed their son Bear on March 22, 2017. After Payne's tragic death, Cole issued a statement on Instagram that said, "[Liam] was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son. [Bear] now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again." She shared her fears about what Bear may encounter online regarding his father in the future and urged people to be considerate of what they post on social media. At the end of her statement, she asked netizens to give Liam "the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last."
In the past, Cole spoke fondly of co-parenting with Payne, as she told The Sun in 2019, "Things are great ... We love and care about each other a lot and we share a child." In 2018, Payne had shared with People that he had "always wanted to be a young dad." When asked about life as a dad, he said, "I love spending time with him." It's clear Bear was one of the most important people in Payne's life, if not the most important.
On a 2021 episode of the podcast "The Diary of a CEO," Payne got candid about his mental health and drug and alcohol addictions. In 2023 YouTube video titled "I'm back ..." on his official channel, the singer revealed he was six-months sober after his stay in rehab, and he said, "More than anything, I want to say thank you to [Bear] and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well in that moment, 'cause I had to."