Cheryl's heartbreaking decision in planning Liam Payne's funeral
Cheryl made a heartbreaking decision ahead of Liam Payne's funeral on Wednesday. The Girls Aloud star joined other mourners, including One Direction's Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, to say their final goodbyes to the late singer.
Liam tragically passed away on October 16 at the age of 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Argentina. An autopsy revealed that he suffered both internal and external bleeding from the fall.
Cheryl, who played a key role in planning the funeral, stood alongside Liam's grieving parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, to say their final goodbyes.
The singer has a 7-year-old son, Bear, with Liam and was in a relationship with him from 2016 to 2018.
Despite their separation, they stayed close friends and co-parented their son, whose face they have kept private from the public, reports OK.
Cheryl concealed her grief behind designer sunglasses, with friends saying she is "devastated" by Liam's death. She made a heartbreaking final promise to him for the sake of their son, Bear.
In a deeply emotional decision, Cheryl chose for her son to attend the funeral, despite struggling with whether it was the right choice for him. Ultimately, Cheryl felt it was important for Bear to say goodbye to his dad, Liam, surrounded by family and close friends.
The pain Cheryl experienced while planning the funeral was reflected in the thoughtful flower arrangements at Liam's burial.
A friend told MailOnline that Cheryl has promised Bear will never forget his dad.
This promise was especially shown when the extent of Bear's loss was clear, as Liam's coffin arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage, with two floral tributes placed on top—one reading "son" and another from Bear that said "Daddy."
Friends of the singer revealed that Cheryl is "dreadfully sad," adding: "She has her own grief, but she also has a little boy who won’t see his daddy again, and that is just heartbreaking."
Cheryl paid tribute to Liam on Instagram following his death, telling fans she hass to "face the reality of never seeing his father again."
Sharing a photo of Liam and Bear, Cheryl said: "As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I'd like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.
"Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again."
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Liam's former One Direction bandmates were among those in attendance, offering their support. The funeral was attended by a number of stars, including James Corden, Rochelle and Marvin Humes, Simon Cowell, Robbie Keane, Damian Hurley, and Liam's girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, all coming together to pay their respects.
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