They’ve remained close ever since their split in 2018, co-parenting son Bear harmoniously despite his new relationship.
But sources say that Liam Payne’s recent eyebrow-raising behaviour has left his ex Cheryl – with whom he shares son Bear - 'worried and disappointed'.
Liam, 29, split from his fiancée Maya Henry last month, after an on/off four years together, but just days after the news broke, Liam was pictured holding hands and cuddling new flame – social media influencer Aliana Mawla.
Fans were shocked by the sighting of Liam – who'd reportedly “abruptly ended” his engagement to “blindsided” model, Maya, 21 – with one writing, “Brutal to end an engagement and then to move on so fast and publicly!”
The following week, Liam gave an interview on YouTuber Logan Paul’s podcast, where he shared his thoughts on ex bandmate Zayn Malik, saying, "there's many reasons why I dislike Zayn".
Shockingly, he then went on to explain how having Bear, four, “ruined” his relationship with Cheryl, saying, “We broke up for a reason and now she gives me full autonomy of my life and to do what I do and I know he’s [Bear] taken care of."
He also detailed how Cheryl – who is notoriously private and only ever said that her labour was “difficult” – had “haemorraghed” during Bear’s birth, saying, “It was me and a baby in the room and I had to take care of it.”
And insiders say that Liam – who has previously opened up about his struggles with mental health and alcohol addiction – has left Cheryl feeling concerned.
A source says, “Liam’s split with Maya and moving on so fast has worried Cheryl. She doesn’t know the ins-and-outs of what happened with Maya but it’s clear she's been hurt and he seems to be acting out of character which is cause for concern.
"And she was quite shocked and disappointed about Liam's oversharing interview, giving away extremely personal info about her - given he knows how private she likes to be. She's chatted things through with him since, hoping to re-establish their privacy boundaries. She also wanted to check in with him - her main priority is knowing he is OK and ensuring that whatever is going on, he's in the right headspace to make decisions that are right for him – and for his son.”
While they appeared loved-up arm-in-arm at the airport last month, it’s unclear whether Strip That Down singer Liam and Aliana are still together.
Their public appearance came just hours after heartbroken Texan-born Maya asked Instagram users to stop sending her snaps of her 'fiancé' “wrapped around another woman” amid reports she’d only become aware of Liam’s new romance after seeing pictures on social media.
Liam briefly split from Maya last June, and the pair were separated for four months – during which time he and Cheryl spent noticeably more time together.
Liam – who dated Cheryl for two and a half years before splitting in 2018 – revealed in an interview how he’d become “closer than ever” to his Girls Aloud star ex. Closer reported at the time how the pair had enjoyed cosy sleepovers and movie nights as a family at Cheryl’s Buckinghamshire mansion, and they were even pictured attending Liam’s sister’s wedding together over the summer.
Insiders revealed how the Let You singer – who’s remained close to Liam since their split four years ago and has an amicable co-parenting relationship with him – was even considering asking her ex to father another child with her amid her...