Cheryl’s anguish over new family bombshell
As Cheryl is rocked by news of her brother being ‘homeless and begging’, she is also left reeling after criticism over her latest career move
She’s previously said “family is everything” – but Cheryl was delivered an unexpected blow last week when it emerged that her older brother, Andrew Tweedy, is homeless and has been begging for hand-outs.
While Cheryl, 38, who is worth an estimated £35 million, chose to take a year out in early 2020 to focus on her four-year-old son Bear – who she shares with singer Liam Payne – her sibling revealed his world couldn’t be further from that of his glamorous sister, and has fallen apart after losing his labouring job and the breakdown of his relationship.
Reportedly surrounded by bottles of beer and living in a tent, Andrew, 41, said, “I’ve got so much f***ing pride. With the family I’ve got, I shouldn’t be here. It’s horrible.
“Even though Cheryl’s not helping me, she’s still my family. She probably won’t even know I’m on the streets. I don’t blame her at all. This is the lowest I’ve ever been.”
Cheryl – who also has three other siblings – admitted in her 2012 autobiography Cheryl: My Story that she’d begged Andrew to get help with the addiction to drugs and alcohol that has plagued most of his adult life and led to three prison sentences and over 50 court appearances, even offering him £20k for rehab.
But news of him living on the streets is said to have been a “bombshell” for the singer.
A source says, “Andrew’s been off the rails for a long time and they haven’t spoken for some years, but seeing pictures of him living in a tent and begging was a huge shock for Cheryl and has broken her heart.
“Cheryl has tried countless times to help Andrew, both financially and emotionally.
And while he doesn’t blame her for what’s happened to him, she feels humiliated that it’s been put out there that she didn’t know what was going on, and she feels others are now looking at her to do more to help – even though she has tried so many times.”
OUT OF CONTROL
While most fans were supportive of the star – insisting she had done her bit to try helping addict Andrew – others seemingly took aim with comments such as, “Could she not go to where he is now, take him home to her mansion and try again [to help]?”
Cheryl – who was seen leaving a rehearsal for her performance at pop festival Mighty Hoopla last week – previously revealed how Andrew spiralled out of control after he discovered he had a different biological father to his younger siblings as a teen – the bombshell she admits ultimately led to her parents’ divorce when Cheryl was 11.
And while Cheryl rose to superstardom by joining Girls Aloud in 2002, Andrew committed his first robbery aged just 13. He’s since been in and out of prison for armed robbery, mugging, and the stabbing of two students during a street fight as a teenager.
In 2006, Cheryl visited her brother during his first prison sentence and accused him of “devastating the whole family” before leaving in floods of tears.
And in 2015, Closer revealed how his latest release from jail had put so much strain on the family that even the notoriously close-knit relationship between Cheryl and her mum Joan Callaghan had suffered after continuing rows over how best to support him. The source says, “Andrew’s situation has caused Cheryl anguish and has haunted her for a long time, and the irony of her being in a multi-million pound mansion and living a life of luxury isn’t lost on her.
“But it’s a very sensitive subject and everyone in their family seems to have different opinions on how to handle it, which led to some heated discussions last week.
“They all used to be so closeknit, but Andrew’s troubles have affected them over the years as they seem to be at odds over how
best to help him.”
CONTROVERSY
Andrew’s confession also couldn’t have come at a worse time for Cheryl – as she was also criticised after announcing her new role hosting an R&B show on BBC Sounds.
While Cheryl – who returned to work just two months ago by revealing herself as a brand ambassador for a multivitamin company – said she was “so excited” by the job, the announcement was
met with controversy, with comedian London Hughes wading in and blasting the “systemic racism”, while Game Of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel raged over the “cultural appropriation.”
The source says, “It’s been a really bad week for Cheryl and she feels embarrassed that she’s received this backlash – first over her brother, then her career – while she’s trying to make her comeback.”
In a further blow, Cheryl has been without the comfort of her ex, Liam, 27, during her time of need. Earlier this year, the One Direction star confessed they’d become “closer than ever”, but since reuniting with model Maya Henry, 20, last month, the singer has been focusing more of his attention on her.
The source says, “Liam was a big confidante for Cheryl, but with him being understandably less available since his reunion with Maya, Cheryl felt quite lonely last week.
“Whereas in the last few months she would have been leaning on him more than ever, she feels she can no longer do that – and it’s made her situation more stressful as it’s left her feeling less connected to the core people in her life.”
By Daisy McLure
SHE FEELS EMBARRASSED THAT SHE’S RECEIVED
THIS BACKLASH