They co-parent son Bear – but is Cheryl doing all the hard work, and does Liam need to step up?
The exes are clashing again
Since they split up a year ago, Cheryl and Liam Payne have said time and time again that their son Bear is their priority. But friends say he’s also the biggest source of tension between the singers.
We’re told the former couple have been disagreeing again lately, and that Cheryl sometimes despairs over her ex’s attitude to parenting. In fact, the star – who graced the FROW at Paris Fashion Week last week – says it’s like having another child around. “Cheryl can get really frustrated with Liam over Bear,” says an insider close to the pair, who broke up last summer after two years together. “Sure, he’s great with Bear when he’s there, but sometimes it feels like she’s having to take care of two kids. Liam’s always asking her what
to do with Bear and how to deal with things he does. Cheryl feels all of the responsibility is on her and she has to make all the effort. She’s the one who Facetimes Liam every day. She organises their time together, arranges visits with his parents, sorts out the drop-offs, and packs all the bags. And yet Liam still finds himself having to cancel or reschedule visits at the last minute due to work. His attitude seems to be that Bear isn’t old enough to understand, so it doesn’t matter if he has to bail occasionally. He says Cheryl’s causing drama, and she should understand that sometimes he has no control over his work schedule. He knows that music isn’t the most stable career, and he wants to make money for Bear while he can.”
Cheryl, 36, admits she and the 25-year-old former One Direction star have very different parenting styles, recently revealing that she is “the strict one, Liam isn’t”. She added, “It is what it is and I’m OK about it.” But we’re told she can’t always let things go. “Generally, things are a lot better between them, and Cheryl has been making an effort to be a more relaxed parent,” says heat ’s insider. “But it’s not always easy when it feels like Liam doesn’t respect her schedule. These days, they’re more like brother and sister, squabbling like siblings. She’s always having a go at him and telling him how immature he is.
“Ultimately, of course they both want what’s best for Bear, and they’re working on a way to meet in the middle, but it’s not easy.” ■
‘He says that Cheryl is causing drama’