Cheryl’s been clashing with baby daddy Liam about him seeing Bear during lockdown
As she clashes with Liam, she’s determined to put Bear first
They’ve been doing their best to navigate the stress of co-parenting during this difficult time, and have been turning to each other for emotional support. But according to insiders, Cheryl’s relationship with baby daddy Liam Payne has become increasingly strained as they are starting to clash over their three-year-old son Bear.
The former One Direction star hasn’t seen his little boy in nearly two months, due to the country being in lockdown and Bear living full-time with Cheryl, and we’re told it’s really starting to take its toll on him. “Liam has not seen Bear since mid-march and it’s eating at him. He’s desperate to spend some time with him, but Cheryl is adamant that she doesn’t want to risk their health,” says heat’s insider. “She knows it’s important for Liam to see Bear, which is why she’s doing regular Facetime chats and sending him loads of photos and videos. But, like any mum, the health of her child comes first, and she wants to protect him. She and Bear are isolating at her place in the country, while Liam is in London and she doesn’t want to take any risks. It can be frustrating for Liam at times – and there have been a few heated debates – but he knows this is what’s best. But it doesn’t stop him feeling hurt.”
Liam – who has been volunteering at local food banks to help the vulnerable – was forced to miss Bear’s third birthday on 22 March, and has spoken of his frustration at not seeing his son. “It was a really tough call not to go down for his birthday,” he said. “I discussed it with Cheryl and we both agreed it was the best
thing. I’m down here in the city and I’ve been exposed to everything, and we were slowly finding out information about this thing – it was horrible. But I got lots of pictures and videos, and I did a little Facetime.”
He also said the regular video catch-ups aren’t as long as he would like, because of young Bear’s attention span. “They are very short chats,” Liam revealed. “As you can imagine, a distracted three year old with a phone... all he wants to do is press the big red button [to hang up], so it’s been difficult. I get cut off quite a lot.”
Earlier this year, Liam – who’s currently dating model Maya Henry, 19 – spoke about how difficult it is to always be travelling and miss quality time with his son, confessing, “If I could fit one person in my bag, it would have to be my son. It’s hard being out on the road and missing him.” He also paid tribute to Cheryl, calling her “super-understanding” as he often has to go back on his plans to come home due to work commitments.
As heat has reported, the exes – who ended their two-year romance in July 2018 – had, until recently, been enjoying late-night Facetime calls amid lockdown. And Liam, 26, had been relying on Cheryl’s advice when it comes to his career and a possible One Direction reunion. But their son always comes first, and we’re told Cheryl’s worried that Bear’s getting to the age where he’ll be more aware of what’s going on around him, so she’s keen to make sure that Liam’s follows through on every plan he makes now.
“Liam was talking about taking Bear for a weekend as soon as lockdown is lifted,” says our source. “But then, the next day, he said his schedule was getting hectic again, and he was supposed to be flying to the US as soon as possible. Cheryl knows he’s desperate to see Bear and understands it’s the nature of his job. But, at the same time, it’s frustrating for her – she’s told him to sort it out and commit to plans. She is understanding of his work
‘Cheryl’s told Liam he needs to sort it out and commit’
and knows things can change at the last minute – and will be even worse over the next few months. But she wants him to make Bear a priority in the future, as she’s keen for them to have as close a father/ son bond as possible. She knows Liam is a great dad and wants to be there more, and hopefully this will make him reassess everything.”
The insider continues, “When it comes to her son, Cheryl is fiercely protective and his happiness will always come first.” ■