Cheryl Strengthens Bond with Liam Paynes Family

Cheryl Tweedy endured one of life's biggest tragedies 18 months ago after the death of her child's father, .

In the heartbreaking months that have followed, the singer, 42, has remained fiercely private to protect and support their nine-year-old son Bear.

The star died at the age of 31 in 2024 when he fell from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In a statement at the time, Cheryl said she felt 'indescribable pain' when she told Bear his father had passed away.

The pair have attempted to cope with their grief by spending quality time with Liam's immediate family and keep his memory alive.

Cheryl and Liam split in 2018 when Bear was a toddler, but the former star maintained contact with his parents Geoff and Karen, as well as his two sisters Ruth and Nicola.

Bear also gets on well with Ruth and Nicola's children.

Cheryl, Bear and the Paynes even made a joint visit last month to Walt Disney World in , which was Liam's 'favourite place on earth'.

In a social media post Cheryl said: 'Somewhere in the corners of the world Magic still exists. I don’t know what took me so long to experience the joys of @waltdisneyworld but I completely escaped into my inner child for the last couple of weeks.'

In the heartwarming family photos the singer is seen holding Bear's hand as they walk through ToyStory Land in the park. 

She added: 'What a wonderful place.'

Liam's sister Ruth referenced one of the rides they went on together as she commented on Cheryl's post: 'Me [handshake emoji] flight of passage'.

Ruth later shared that the trip was in memory of her late brother.

She wrote: 'Bittersweet, healing and at times so heavy hearted walking around and being on my brother’s favourite rides in his favourite place without him.

'[Her son's] first time to Disneyworld and my little thrill seeker absolutely loved it, it’s basically in his genes to love Disney, so magical✨❤️always in your honour Liam, you’d have loved this trip.'

Fans gushed over sweet bond with Liam's family in the comments, writing: 'So happy you got to have this experience with Bear and the rest of the Payne Family.'

Another said: 'I'm so happy that you guys had so much fun and allow yourself to do so. Sending their whole family lots of love, especially for little Bear (not so little anymore).' 

Ruth has long been fond of Cheryl and has previously posted messages on Instagram in support of her work. 

She also hit back at trolls who criticised the singer's choice of dress for her wedding in 2016, which some on social media claimed was 'not fancy enough'. 

At the time Ruth wrote on X: 'I also had no say over what any guest wore to my wedding, I don't know who does have a say but considering my brother's girlfriend is one of the most beautiful women in the world, she can wear anything and still look stunning as she did at my wedding.

'There's enough hate in the world without people writing nasty stuff about people they don't know.'

For his first Christmas without his father, Cheryl ensured Bear was reminded of happy memories with Liam and was visited by members of the Payne family.

that Cheryl was going to 'great lengths' to ensure Liam will never be forgotten. 

'It has been a really sad time for Bear and Cheryl,' a source close to the family shared last year. 'Cheryl has said it herself but she is trying to work through her son losing his daddy and that will mean there are many milestones to come, the first of which is Christmas.

'This was the time when Liam would skip over to Cheryl's and despite them not being together, they would give Bear the most special of days.

'Wherever Liam was in the world, he'd always make sure to be home to spend Christmas Day with Bear. [Bear] will always have those memories, but now things will be different.'

Cheryl has been trying her best to give Bear a memorable and happy childhood despite the heartbreak of losing his father.

Last Christmas, , something he and the late One Direction singer shared a love for.

Bear was treated to a three-night trip to Port Lympne, a safari park in Kent, where he appeared ‘thrilled’ as he came face to face with the park’s residents. 

The pair stayed in an exclusive £3,000-a-night glass-sided ‘tiger lodge’ where guests can see the wildlife roam at close quarters. 

Cheryl and Liam started dating in 2016 and their son was born the following year. They announced their split in 2018.

The One Direction star posted on social media at the time: '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 our way through this together.'

Cheryl's close bond with Liam's relatives

While the singer boasts a net worth of £30million, the life of her four siblings couldn't be more different. 

Her estranged brother Andrew Tweedy, 45, was spotted  in April.

According to reports, he was spending his days hoping customers at the in Jarrow, South Tyneside, would buy him food. 

Cheryl is said to have made numerous attempts to help her brother kick his drink and drug addiction, including offering him a £20,000 stay in rehab.