Cheryl 'makes pointed move' to protect son Bear as huge fortune left by Liam Payne revealed in court documents
It's been nearly two years since Liam Payne's tragic death at the age of just 31.
Although he passed away without a will, the former One Direction star's vast fortune is set to land in the lap of his only son Bear, who he shared with fellow musician Cheryl.
Earlier this week, court documents revealed the extent of that fortune, with the 9-year-old likely to inherit an eye-watering sum of around £24.3 million, which automatically goes to him because he had no spouse or civil partner when he passed away. .
Naturally, having so much money at such a young age is never likely to end well, especially since Cheryl and Liam both agreed that Bear would be shielded from the social media limelight when he was born.
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And therefore it is perhaps unsurprising that the former Girls Aloud star wants to prevent him from accessing that money until he is able to make smart financial decisions of his own, which apparently is age 25, despite me spending way too much on beer and World Cup panini stickers at the grand old age of 28.
“Protecting Bear is Cheryl’s priority in life,” a friend explained to The Sun. “She is a devoted mother and will do everything she can to take care of him.
“Cheryl knows how difficult it can be to live in the public eye and has shielded Bear from that as much as she can.
“Inheriting this amount of money at a young age is enough to have the potential to send anyone sidewards — and that is what she wants to protect Bear from.
“She is going to stop him receiving Liam’s inheritance until he is at least 25 years old, if not older.
“For Cheryl, she feels that she wants Bear to be of an age where he can make informed decisions about the money.”
Although their relationship ended back in 2018, the pair remained dedicated co-parents to Bear and took the refreshing approach of not plastering his face all over their Instagram pages.
A friend added: “Giving her son a normal and happy childhood is what Cheryl remains focused on.
“She wants him to have a life that other kids have. His parents might have been public figures, but Bear is not. Keeping that normality and stability for her son is paramount for Cheryl.
“It’s why the idea of him inheriting such a vast amount of money is worrying. Not everyone in this world has good intentions and Cheryl knows that.
“She wants him to still have ambition and the drive to succeed without the back-up of the money — and she’s aware that people may want to befriend him because they are aware of his situation.
“Guiding her son and controlling his access to the money will allow her to keep him safe. The older he is, the more wise he will be and, ultimately, when he is a man in his twenties with a job and a life of his own, he will be better able to make informed decisions with her guidance.
“It is all any mother would want for their child.”
It certainly seems like good parenting to ensure that someone so young doesn't have access to that life-changing amount of money, as that is only likely to end badly.
Sadly, there have been a huge number of remarkably insensitive comments online ever since Payne passed away, with few realising that Bear would most definitely prefer growing up with his father rather than having access to this money when he turns 25.
That online criticism was something which Cheryl alluded to when she posted for the first time after her former partner's death, reminding people that while he was famous, he was also a human being.
"As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being," she had written.
"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.
"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 in the past two days. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future.
"I am begging you to consider what use some of these reports are serving, other than to cause further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces. Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to rad them.
"Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last. Thank you, Cheryl."
LADbible has contacted Cheryl's representatives for comment.
Topics: Liam Payne, Celebrity News, Parenting, Entertainment
James Moorhouse