Nearly two years after his death, Liam Payne's son Bear Grey Payne has been named the sole beneficiary of the One Direction star's estate, valued at nearly $28 million, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. While some funds are accessible immediately, the majority will be held in a trust until Bear turns 18.
Estate Administration and Background
Cheryl Cole, Payne's ex-girlfriend and Bear's mother, along with music lawyer Richard Bray, were appointed administrators of the estate after it was revealed that the singer died without a will. Payne passed away on October 16, 2024, at age 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Relationship Timeline
Payne and Cole first met in 2008 when she was a judge on X Factor and he auditioned as a solo artist. He returned to the show two years later and became a member of One Direction. They reconnected at the 2015 X Factor finale, and by March 2016, they made their relationship official on social media. Their son Bear was born in March 2017.
In July 2018, the couple announced their separation in a joint statement: "Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together."
Circumstances of Death
Payne's death in Buenos Aires involved multiple substances in his system, including "pink cocaine," according to reports. Two men were arrested for supplying drugs, while three others faced charges of abandonment and manslaughter, which were dropped by an Argentine federal appeals court in February 2025.
In the days after his death, Cole wrote on Instagram: "Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and father to our 7-year-old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again." She added, "What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day, Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future."
Current Life
Cole keeps Bear off her social media accounts but recently shared photos from a trip to Disney World, captioning: "Somewhere in the corners of the world Magic still exists. I don't know what took me so long to experience the joys of @waltdisneyworld but I completely escaped into my inner child for the last couple of weeks. What a wonderful place."
