Cheryl tells Liam: ‘Don’t play games with me’
As their friendship continues, pals ask Liam not to unintentionally lead Cheryl on if there’s no chance of a romantic future together
Speculation that a reunion was on the cards reached fever pitch last week, after Cheryl and Liam Payne posted the same caption on their Twitter accounts reading, “Things are about to get tasty.”
But when it was revealed they were simply teasing a new advert for a radio show, angry fans lashed out at the former couple for misleading them.
One commented online, “Liam Tweeted like this… Cheryl doing the same. Are they getting back together?”
While another wrote, “Sorry Cheryl, I really do love you but I don’t play along with teasers or mind games. If you got something to say, say it!”
Other angry fans wrote, “This is why I don’t get excited with you any more,” and, “Really all the hype for this?”
And friends say Cheryl, 35 – who was said to have been “hurt” by the criticism sparked by her raunchy performance of her comeback single Love Made Me Do It last year – is gutted by the reprisal.
A source says, “Cheryl was upset to see how such an inoffensive post had riled people. She thought the backlash surrounding her comeback had died down, so it’s a blow to be faced with negativity again.”
Cheryl became the target of trolling by die-hard One Direction fans when she started dating 25-year-old singer Liam in 2016 – followed by another barrage of abusive comments when they split last July.
CHECK OUT Cheryl's romances - from Ashley Cole to Liam Payne
Cheryl relationship timeline - stacked
1 of 112004-2010: Ashley Cole
Not long into her rise to fame, Cheryl started dating England footballer Ashley Cole, even attending the World Cup with the likes of Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney. Clearly smitten, the loved-up pair got married in 2016, penning a six-figure magazine deal at the time.
2 of 112004-2010: Ashley Cole
However, things started to turn sour for the 'golden couple' when Ashley was accused of 'cheating' on Cheryl just months after their wedding. Despite forgiving the footballer, Ashley continued with his ways, with allegations that he'd been unfaithful rocking their romance yet again. Everything got too much for Chez in 2010, when she filed for divorce from Ashley.
3 of 112010-2011: Derek Hough
Cheryl first met professional dancer Derek Hough whilst the pair filmed the music video for her hit track 'Parachute', and it seems they immediately hit it off. The former X Factor judge contracted Malaria in 2010, and she later told Piers Morgan, "I owe my life to Derek... if it wasn't for him I'd be dead."
4 of 112010-2011: Derek Hough
Despite this, it seems the pair were destined to just be friends, with Derek later revealing to the media, "We dated for a while. Absolutely we are still friends, we are still very close."
5 of 112012-2013: Tre Holloway
It seems Cheryl had quite a thing for professional dancers, as her next boyfriend was the super handsome Tre Holloway. Despite first meeting each other on The X Factor in 2010, the pair didn't grow close until 2012, with Cheryl enlisting Tre's dancing skills for her 'Ghetto Baby' music video.
6 of 112012-2013: Tre Holloway
Things seemed to be getting serious between the two, especially when Tre starred in Cheryl's ITV2 documentary. However, the long-distance relationship didn't work out, with the couple calling it quits in 2013. Speaking at the time, Tre said, "She's an amazing person, an amazing woman, and we are good friends."
7 of 112014-2016: Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
It looked like Cheryl had found 'the one' when she met French businessman Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in 2014. Only three months into their romance, Cheryl shocked her fans by announcing she'd married JB, in a secret beach location with her close family and friends.
8 of 112014-2016: Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
After her second marriage, rumours of tension between Cheryl and JB started to arise, with the couple being pictured looking glum on more than one occasion. 18 months after their whirlwind wedding, Cheryl and JB were granted a quickie divorce in October 2018.
9 of 112016-2018: Liam Payne
Shortly after Cheryl divorced JB, she singer shocked the showbiz world in 2016, when she confirmed she was dating One Direction singer Liam Payne. Despite the pair having a 10-year age gap, and originally meeting when Liam was just 14-years-old on The X Factor, Cheryl and Liam instantly hit it off, posting a number of adorable snaps together.
10 of 112016-2018: Liam Payne
After what was the worst kept pregnancy secret of the decade, Cheryl and Liam welcomed a baby boy into the world in March 2017, settling on the name Bear Grey Payne.
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11 of 112016-2018: Liam Payne
Split rumours started to hit the pair in early 2018, but Cheryl and Liam were quick to shut them down, putting on a very loved-up display at the 2018 BRIT Awards. However, just five months later, the couple released a joint statement admitting they've decided to separate. Despite this, the pair remain good friends and co-parent baby Bear.
The source continues, “Cheryl was shocked fans would want her and Liam to reunite – so much that it would spark this outrage over a silly Tweet. She feels like she can’t win.
“She’s gone from being the nation’s sweetheart to a target for cruel comments, and while she’s built up a thick skin over the years, it’s got so bad she’s wondering if it’s all worth it.”
Cheryl and Liam have maintained a strong relationship post-split – spending Christmas together with their two-year-old son Bear, gushing about each other on social media, and proving their closeness when they were snapped sharing a hug at a recent showbiz event.
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And, after confessing she wants another baby, as having just one is “unimaginable”, insiders told Closer how Cheryl had even gauged Liam’s feelings on whether he’d father another child with her if he were single. But pals are starting to worry that Liam – who was until recently dating supermodel Naomi Campbell, 48 – may be unintentionally leading her on.
Our source says, “Liam’s naturally friendly and is incredibly protective and outwardly loving to friends and family. He still gives Cheryl lots of compliments and credits her for Bear’s good looks, telling people, ‘It’s all from his mum.’
"Cheryl’s sometimes confused about their friendship, as he almost gives the impression he wants her back, which is messing with her head, and friends have urged her to create stricter boundaries.”
Pals say Liam needs to be conscious of leading her on, even though it’s not deliberate.
Cheryl and Liam’s friendly ways have hit the headlines repeatedly – he even made a cameo in a dance routine on The Greatest Dancer, to which she responded with a cheeky eye roll. And pals say she has had a role to play in suggestions they might reunite.
Our source says, “Cheryl knows she’s not entirely innocent. She’s gone along with their flirtatious relationship. But now she just wants to make sure neither of them are misinterpreted.”
The source adds, “The pair have both agreed how important their friendship is, and Cheryl was relieved to have had an honest chat with Liam about how she sometimes gets mixed messages, which they both laughed about. She joked that he mustn’t play games, and he has agreed to be more mindful of her feelings and the situation.”
Read even more celeb news in this week's Closer magazine - out now.