Cheryl’s concern for Liam grows over his ‘soft porn’ scandal
As his very racy photoshoot causes a stir, insiders say Cheryl is worried her ex Liam Payne is having an identity crisis
SHE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO PUTS HER FOOT DOWN AND THEY HAD CROSS WORDS
His latest modelling shoot was unveiled last week and the pictures – showing him naked on a bed with a topless model lying across his manhood – quickly stirred up a scandal.
Starring in Hugo Boss’ latest underwear advert, the Strip That Down singer Liam Payne is shown frolicking with Victoria’s Secret model Stella Maxwell,
29, in various sexual scenarios. He wears the famous fashion label’s pants before apparently stripping them off. In an interview to accompany the shoot, father-of-one Liam confessed he “basically shot soft-core porn”, and revealed his outraged mum “gave him a clip round the ear” when he showed her a preview of the photos. Even his loyal fans were shocked at the risqué images, with one saying, “This is so inappropriate – he has young fans!” Another commented, “Put your pants on Liam, you have a son.”
EMBARRASSED
Good Morning Britain host
Piers Morgan commented on the steamy campaign, saying, “Even if a female star was doing this, I’d say, ‘Put some clothes on, love!’ And I’m saying the same thing about Liam Payne. This [shoot] is ridiculous.”
And insiders say Liam, 26 – who recently admitted he was “frightened” of his “strict” ex Cheryl – worried the drama around the video would leave him facing her wrath.
An insider says, “It’s fair to say Cheryl was not impressed with the shoot and was a little shocked by Liam’s porn confessions afterwards. She didn’t even think it was a sexy shoot, it just felt a bit inappropriate. She’s told Liam that he has to think and behave like a dad now, and this could be something that he will live to regret as a parent. They’d previously agreed to always set a good example for Bear and she feels that, while posing naked with a supermodel between his legs might
be fun for Liam now, it may look different in hindsight. She says Liam’s recent behaviour is really worrying her.”
Liam and Cheryl, 36, split in July 2018 but co-parent twoyear-old Bear, with Liam recently revealing that he visits the toddler – who lives with Cheryl – when he can. And on Bear’s first birthday in 2017, proud Cheryl gushed on social media, “You are the most amazing daddy and the best example for our son. The way he looks at you says it all. Your relationship melts my heart. You are the centre of his world and we adore you.”
DRINKING
Last month, Liam revealed he turned to Cheryl whenever he needed support, with him saying, “Cheryl’s always there for me. I’m lucky enough to have someone who understands what I go through.” But although they’ve been getting on well co-parenting, insiders say Cheryl has opened up to pals over her fears that Liam seems different to the man she first fell in love with, and she’s growing concerned about his conduct.
Closer previously revealed how Liam had hinted his working relationship with Rita Ora had upset his ex, saying their steamy duet in February 2018 hadn’t “done wonders for [his] personal life with Cheryl”. And he raised eyebrows when he recently opened up about his excessive drinking on the Table Manners podcast with Jessie Ware.
He also sparked concerns during an interview with survival expert Ant Middleton on his TV show, where Liam revealed he felt “lucky” to be alive after depression left him suicidal following the pressure of fame he found in 1D. And Liam also revealed last week that he had to take time to process his recent risqué photoshoot himself, saying, “There was a real hollow moment afterwards where I was sitting outside smoking a cigarette thinking, ‘I have basically just shot soft-core porn.’”
The source adds, “Cheryl thinks he may be having a bit of an identity crisis at the moment – she can’t really recognise him. She’s the only one who will put her foot down – but when she brought up her concerns, it led to a few cross words between them, so she is left wondering what to do if this continues.”