Cheryl’s facing what no one wants for Christmas – your ex bringing his new GF round
Make way for Maya this Chrimbo
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without family drama, right? So, it’s no surprise that Cheryl and Liam Payne are at loggerheads about the festive period. According to insiders, the parents to twoyear-old Bear have clashed over their plans for the big day – with Liam, 26, insisting on bringing girlfriend Maya Henry, 18, to lunch. Unsurprisingly, Cheryl’s not so keen.
“Liam’s told Cheryl that she won’t stop him spending the day with his son,” an insider close to the former couple, who split in summer 2018 and spent last Christmas together with their families, tells heat. “He wants to be a part of the special occasion, but there’s no way that he’s doing it without Maya there. Cheryl’s dumbfounded – she doesn’t want to cause a massive row, but she thinks Liam’s being insensitive. It feels as though he and Maya have only been together for five minutes. Liam’s told her it will strengthen their relationship and make him a better father, but Cheryl’s now dreading Christmas Day.”
As heat reported last week, Liam recently paid tribute to Cheryl in a TV documentary, calling her “the most important” person in his life, as the mother of Bear, and saying they get on “genuinely well”. But that interview was filmed earlier this summer, before he went official with new girlfriend Maya. Since then, he’s made a few thinly veiled digs at Cheryl, saying it would take her “so long to get out of the door”, because she was worried about pap pics. He also said Maya had helped him finally find “happiness” and that she was “more relaxed” than his exes.
According to our source, Cheryl – who’s currently single – has become increasingly annoyed by Liam’s behaviour. And his recent cover feature for GQ, in which he posed nearly naked and talked about downing tequila to get him through the raunchy shoot, has only aggravated her more. Last week, she appeared on Rupaul’s podcast What’s The Tee? and didn’t hold back in talking about her life as a single parent. Speaking about getting a nanny for Bear, Cheryl told Ru and co-host Michelle Visage, “I actually didn’t work for the first 18 months, I didn’t have any help.” She then rubbed salt into wounds by completely leaving Liam out of the picture, as she revealed that, after giving birth, “It was just me and [Bear], and sometimes my mum. And his father’s parents would come to help.”
According to our source, Cheryl feels that Liam’s putting his needs first. “Liam’s told her that he and Maya are serious and he wants to be more settled,” says our insider. “He means well, but it’s hard for Cheryl to hear, as she’s still single and right now, everything seems to be about what’s best for Liam. Plus, she’s annoyed about the GQ shoot. She doesn’t understand why he’s pushing himself in this direction, constantly trying to be seen as a sex symbol, and she’s worried how all this will affect Bear when he’s older.”
‘There’s no way he’s doing Christmas without Maya’
As for Christmas, it seems that Cheryl doesn’t have much choice in the matter. But luckily, she does have one ace up her sleeve. “Cheryl’s told Liam on his head, be it,” we’re told. “All she can say is that [her mum] Joan will be there, as well as some of her family from Newcastle, and they’re not the friendliest when it comes to welcoming outsiders. Cheryl’s told Liam that she hopes Maya has a thick skin.”
Ah, warring exes, passive aggression, controversial new partners and potty-mouthed family members… sounds like Christmas to us. ■