Newly-single Liam Payne ‘wants to spend more time with son Bear, 4, and focus on clean living’ after calling off engagement to Maya Henry – as star reveals he’s quit booze
- The singer, 27, confirmed the split in a podcast, saying he needed to ‘work on himself’ but that he felt upset at ‘hurting people’
- Liam proposed to Maya with a £3 million engagement ring during the UK’s first lockdown which began in March and ended in July last tear
- The pair were first linked back in August 2018 shortly after Liam’s high-profile split from Cheryl, 37, with whom he shares son Bear, four
Liam Payne wants to spend more time with his son Bear and focus on taking better care of himself after calling off his engagement to Maya Henry, it has been claimed.
The singer, 27, revealed that he had split from his fiancée, 21, and had quit drinking alcohol while appearing on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast on Monday.
A source has now said that Liam is soaking up time with his four-year-old child, who he shares with ex Cheryl, 37, and trying to have a ‘more clean living lifestyle’.
‘He’s devoted to being a dad’: Liam Payne wants to spend more time with his son Bear following his split from Maya Henry, it has been claimed (pictured with his ex fiancée in 2019)
Speaking with The Sun, a source said: ‘Liam just wants to spend more time with his son Bear since the split. That’s his boy, he means the world to him.
‘He’s devoted to being a dad and making more time with his little man now he’s getting older.
‘Liam is taking care of himself better now, working out more and a clean living lifestyle too.’
MailOnline has contacted Liam’s representatives for further comment.
Father and son: The singer, 27, shares his four-year-old child with ex Cheryl, 37 (pictured with Bear after the youngster’s birth in 2017)
The former One Direction star previously spoke about his little boy and how he’s connected even more with his son during lockdown.
Last April, Liam told Capital FM: ‘Most of all through this lockdown it’s been difficult to see Bear at certain points but I’ve actually connected with my son a bit more, which is fantastic.’
He also chatted about fatherhood during an Instagram Live in January, admitting it’s been ‘hard’ visiting his son as despite only living ‘up the street’ he has to ensure he’s tested negative first. Liam co-parents with Cheryl after the pair split in July 2018.
The singer shocked fans after confirming his split from Maya on Monday, explaining that he needs to ‘work on himself’ but that he felt upset at ‘hurting’ Maya.
During the candid podcast conversation, Liam also revealed that he’s stopped drinking, telling Steven that he’s ‘been sober just over a month now’.
Shock: Liam revealed that he had split from his fiancée, 21, and had quit drinking alcohol while appearing on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast on Monday (pictured October 2019)
Liam and Maya confirmed their engagement in August 2020 after Liam popped the question during lockdown with a £3 million ring. They were first linked back in August 2018 shortly after Liam’s high-profile split from Cheryl.
Confirming that he is now single, Liam said on the podcast: ‘I feel like more than anything at this point, I’m more disappointed in myself that I keep on hurting people.
‘That annoys me. I’ve just not been very good at relationships. And I know what my pattern of things is with relationships at this point.
‘I’m just not very good at them so I just need to work on myself before I put myself on to somebody else.’
The Strip That Down singer continued: ‘That’s where I got to in my last relationship.
‘I just wasn’t giving a very good version of me anymore, that I didn’t appreciate and I didn’t like being. I can honestly say I feel better out of it.
Family man: Maya and Liam were first linked back in August 2018 shortly after Liam’s high-profile split from Cheryl, 37, with whom he shares son Bear, three (pictured together in 2016)
His world: A source claimed that ‘Liam just wants to spend more time with his son Bear since the split.. he means the world to him’ (Bear is pictured in a snap shared by Cheryl in 2018)
Family: Liam and Cheryl have been co-parenting Bear since their split in July 2018 (the singer and her son are pictured in 2019)
‘I didn’t feel good doing what I did but it had to happen. Just a corny way to say it was the best for us both.’
The split will come as a shock to Liam and Maya’s fans, as although the pair haven’t been photographed together since September 2020, the couple still follow each other on Instagram and have kept their pictures up with each other.
Liam popped the question to Maya last year with a dazzling diamond ring that set him back an eye-watering £3 million.
MailOnline exclusively broke the news of their engagement in August, the singer then confirmed he had popped the question over the first lockdown.
The pair were first linked back in August 2018 shortly after Liam split from Cheryl.
However, they first set eyes on each other three years earlier, when they were pictured together at a meet-and-greet event when One Direction fan Maya was 15.
It wasn’t until September 2019 that Liam publicly spoke about his blossoming romance, while promoting his single Stack It Up.
Prior to dating Maya he is said to have enjoyed a four-month whirlwind romance with supermodel Naomi Campbell, which ended in April 2019.
He said during an appearance on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp: ‘We’re fairly happy at the moment. I’m just past the point of where I’m bothered or not.
‘It’s not worth my happiness; I’d just rather go out and do what I want. I’ve got nothing to hide.’
That same month, Liam made things Instagram official, when he took to the image-sharing platform to upload a heartwarming snap of him laughing and hugging Maya.
Captioning the snap, he wrote: ‘Sometimes I don’t recognise this happy guy… sure glad you brought him back though.
Instagram official: Liam made things Instagram official in September 2019 when he took to the image-sharing platform to upload a heartwarming snap of him laughing and hugging Maya
‘This has been the most amazing release week to date! Massive thank you to all my team for helping setting it all up and making it run smooth.
‘Then last but not least this one @maya_henry for always keeping the biggest smile on my face through all the stress and making me realise how perfect my life really is. Love you all let’s stack this sh** up.’
Brunette beauty Maya wrote in response: ‘So proud of you and so glad we can be happy together. Stack it up biisshhh.’ [sic]
Model Maya is the daughter of Thomas J. Henry – a Texan lawyer who amassed his wealth running his own personal injury firm.
Gem: Liam popped the question to Maya last year with a dazzling diamond ring that set him back an eye-watering £3 million
The company is described on its website as ‘one of the biggest plaintiff’s firms in Texas’, with Maya the heiress to the multi-million pound fortune.
The beauty has still been reaping the benefits of her father’s success during her youth – with her Quinceañera, the Spanish coming of age party at 15 years old, costing a whopping £4million.
Despite her privileged background, the beauty is driven to succeed on her own – having revealed her desire to be a human rights lawyer ‘like Amal Clooney’ to the Business Insider.
Not only successful in the classroom, with her favourite subject algebra, the brunette is also interested in fitness, and was a competitive tennis player in her youth.
She even set up her own charity, Maya’s Corner, as a child, which provides school supplies and now education opportunities to underprivileged kids across the US.
Liam’s most high-profile romance was with singer Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior.
Cheryl was 24 when a then 14-year-old Liam first auditioned for the X Factor back in 2008, but despite his tender years, cheeky Liam was full of confidence as he gave his future love a cheeky wink.
In a clip of their first meeting, Cheryl calls the musician ‘really cute,’ some seven years before they struck up their relationship.
First meeting: Liam’s most high profile romance was with singer Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior. They first crossed paths on the X Factor in 2008 when she was 24 and he was 14
Liam and Cheryl came initially face-to-face two years before he returned to the show as a solo singer in 2010 and was one of the finalists chosen form one fifth of the boyband 1D.
In the clip, Cheryl is seen turning to the panel with a nod of the head and raised eyebrows as her future beau sings Fly Me To The Moon, before Liam looks at her and accompanies the lyrics ‘In other words, baby kiss me’ with a confident wink.
Seemingly impressed by his potential when he first sang for the judges, Cheryl’s feedback gushed: ‘I think you’re really cute, I think you’ve got charisma, you know you give us that little cheeky wink.’
Liam reached the Boot Camp stage of the competition, before being kicked out of the competition by Boys’ category mentor Simon just ahead of the Live Shows.
During Cheryl’s third stint on the singing competition, in 2010, a familiar face returned, this time as a 16-year-old Liam, who wowed the judges with his performance of Julie London’s Cry Me A River.
Pregnancy: The pair’s romance is said to have started in December 2015 when they got reacquainted at the X Factor final, with Cheryl debuting her baby bump with son Bear in November the next year
After listening to his first-round audition that year, Cheryl gushed again: ‘You’ve definitely got it, whatever “it” is, you’ve got it. I thought your voice was really, really powerful.’
Cheryl ran in the same circles ever since, with Liam going on to achieve international stardom with bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik but returning regularly for visits to the show that made him famous.
The pair’s romance is said to have started in December 2015 when they got reacquainted at the X Factor final, which he attended with Harry, Louis and Niall.
Cheryl and Liam went public with their romance in February 2016 after being spotted together in a supermarket in Guildford, Surrey – welcoming son Bear in March 2017.
They went their separate ways in July 2018 following a two and a half year romance.
Whirlwind romance: The couple welcomed Bear in March 2017 but confirmed the end of their romance in July 2018
The pair are said to have remained civil since their split, with the hunk even insisting he would be not sure what he and son Bear would do without single Cheryl in a sweet Mother’s Day post.
Back in April, Liam also spoke about his strong bond with his ex, stating: ‘Cheryl is literally the best person to co-parent with. No stress involved. It’s very, very relaxed, and we spend a lot of time on FaceTime.
‘And it’s been really lovely, and I’m closer to them than I’ve ever been before, actually, which is really, really nice.
‘But bedtime FaceTime can go really well sometimes. Or I bought him some toys yesterday that I showed them on the FaceTime and it was like I had to go and travel over and hand the toys over the fence!’
WHOLE LOT OF (DATING) HISTORY: A LOOK BACK AT LIAM’S LOVES
Danielle Peazar (2010-2012)
Liam met dancer Danielle when they both appeared on The X Factor in 2010 with the couple going on to date for two years.
The pair enjoyed a very brief reconciliation the following year, but soon called it quits for good.
In 2018, Danielle sparked rumours she was back in touch the singer after a fan asked Danielle if she and the singer kept in contact during an Instagram Q&A, to which she responded: ‘I’m gonna keep that between him and I.’
Former flame: Liam Payne dated Danielle Peazar from 2010-2012 after meeting on The X Factor where she worked as a dancer
Sophia Smith (2013-2015)
Liam and Sophia originally met when they were both in school, but didn’t date until 2013, splitting in October 2015.
He told The Sun On Sunday at the time: ‘I’m absolutely devastated to have split with Sophia, but in order to do right by somebody, sometimes it’s better not to do what your heart wants, but to do what’s better for them.’
The split came as a shock to fans as just weeks before the boyband hunk admitted that the pair were talking about marriage.
In an interview with Attitude magazine, he said: ‘We have talked about marriage, but 22 seems a bit young for us. Sophia needs to go off and do what she wants to do.
‘I don’t want her to be one of those stay-at-home girlfriends who doesn’t really do much.’
Schoolyard crush: Liam and Sophia Smith originally met when they were both in school, but didn’t date until 2013, splitting in October 2015
Cheryl (2015-2017)
Liam’s most high-profile romance was with singer Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior.
The couple first met when Cheryl was 24 when a then 14-year-old Liam first auditioned for the X Factor back in 2008, but the pair’s romance is said to have started in December 2015 when they got reacquainted at the X Factor final.
Cheryl and Liam went public with their romance in February 2016 and welcomed son Bear in March 2017.
The couple went their separate ways in July 2018 following a two and a half year romance but have remained amicable co-parents to their son.
High-profile: Liam’s most high-profile romance was with singer Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior and the couple share son Bear (pictured in 2018)
Cairo Dwek (2018)
Liam enjoyed a summer romance with model Cairo, with their two-month relationship coming to an end in September 2018 after two months of dating.
The Bedroom Floor hitmaker confirmed their split when fans quizzed him on his relationship status – bizarrely beneath one of singer John Mayer’s live Instagram videos.
After John told fans he was single, Liam quickly shut down speculation adding: ‘I’m single too,’ followed by a wink emoji.
Summer loving: Liam enjoyed a summer romance with model Cairo, with their two-month relationship coming to an end in September 2018 after two months of dating
Naomi Campbell (2019)
Liam was linked Naomi, who is 23 years older than him, in 2019, with the couple said to have enjoyed a four-month fling that ended in April after Naomi got ‘bored’ of the singer.
It began with a seemingly harmless flirtation on Instagram, liking and commenting on one another’s steamy posts.
Liam described her as ‘perfection in a person’, with her branding him ‘a beautiful soul’.
There were reports about Liam bragging about the couple’s ‘mind-blowing’ sex, but when Naomi was asked outright about the tryst on The Jonathan Ross Show she said the rumours were ‘humorous’. Any romance appeared to end shortly after this.
Model moment: Liam was linked Naomi, who is 23 years older than him, in 2019, with the couple said to have enjoyed a four-month fling that ended in April
Maya Henry (2019-2021)
Liam revealed in June that he had called off his engagement to fiancée Maya, in order to ‘work on himself’.
The couple confirmed their engagement in August 2020 after Liam popped the question during lockdown with a £3 million ring.
The pair were first linked back in August 2018 shortly after Liam’s high-profile split from Cheryl.
However, they first set eyes on each other three years earlier, when they were pictured together at a meet-and-greet event when One Direction fan Maya was 15.
End of an era: Liam revealed in June that he had called off his engagement to fiancée Maya, in order to ‘work on himself’. The couple had dated for two years
Source: Read Full Article