Liam Payne hits back at reports he's 'jealous' of Cheryl and Bear's bond
His words were misinterpreted
Last updated 7th Nov 2019
Liam Payne's life changed forever back in 2017 when he welcomed his son Bear into the world with his girlfriend Cheryl Tweedy. Now Bear is one-year-old, the former One Direction singer has been talking about the struggles of fatherhood, but it seems his comments have been misinterpreted by certain publications.
Hitting back at an article which said he was 'jealous' of Cheryl and Bear's bond, Liam took to Twitter to write, 'Never once did I use the word jealous... a relationship between a mother and a newborn is the most beautiful thing I just said I struggled with my place in this and what I could do to become a part of that with not having the same natural maternal instincts as a mum does.' sic
He then added, 'Women have amazing almost superhuman powers at this the way they connect with a child is incredible. I just had to find things that helped me benefit and become a part of this beautiful relationship and I think a lot of dads find their feet the same way.' sic
It comes after Liam bravely opened up to #Legend in a recent interview. The proud dad spoke about how being a dad is 'difficult' and revealed that fatherhood is 'totally different' to what he had in mind.
Speaking to the publication, Liam said, "The difference with being a dad is that you just have to take care of the whole picture at the start. A mother and a child is the most beautiful thing to watch, but they’re the closest thing ever, and you’re close, but you’ll never be as close. Their hearts were beating at the same time at one point, for god’s sake! You’re never going to be as close as that. So a lot of dads feel put out, in that sense. I didn’t really feel put out, but I was like, 'Where’s my place?' I was desperate to find out what I was meant to do – changing nappies and whatever else."
Liam then went on to say he used cooking as a way of making himself feel 'useful' when Bear was first born. He added, "For me as a dad, you’re just taking care of everything as much as you can, making sure he’s got a smile on his face. And if you cook for her, she feeds him, so you’re cooking for everyone – that’s what my thing was. As daft as it sounds, cooking actually got me through fatherhood because it made me feel useful, rather than being the guy who just gets handed him to change his nappy and make him laugh and giggle. That’s a lot of what it is."
As he has done in the past, Liam praised Cheryl for being a brilliant mum to baby Bear and admitted he thinks women are 'superhuman'.
Cute! 💑
Check out Liam and Cheryl's full relationship timeline:
December 2015
During the final of The X Factor 2015, when Cheryl was a judge on the show, Liam was spotted dancing with the singer to Jason Derulo's track 'Talk Dirty To Me' after the show ended.
Despite looking very friendly together, nobody suspected a relationship between the two.
February 2016
Cheryl uploaded a photo of herself getting ready for The BRIT Awards in 2016, with Liam commenting on her photo with the cheeky caption, 'See you there babe!'.
February 2016
Despite rumours circulating that the pair could be dating, Cheryl and Liam walked the BRITs red carpet separately in 2016. Instead, Liam was joined by his former One Direction band mate Louis Tomlinson.
February 2016
It's official! On the last day of February in 2016, Liam and Cheryl made their relationship public when Liam updated his social media photos to this cute snap.
The singer also updated his social media bios to read, 'Happy'.
March 2016
Cheryl and Liam went Instagram official when Liam uploaded this photo of the pair posing in the back of a car.
March 2016
Liam sent 'Cheriam' fans into complete meltdown when he shared a photo of Cheryl to his social media accounts to celebrate International Women's Day.
Alongside the photo, he wrote the cute caption of, 'Happy #internationalwomensday to my favourite woman in the world 😘😘 hope I make you as happy as u make me X'. sic
March 2016
Cheryl and Liam made their first public appearance together in March 2016. Looking incredibly loved up, the pair enjoyed a meal together at a restaurant in London, with Cheryl sporting a massive necklace with the word 'love'.
April 2016
After only a few months of dating, Cheryl's friend and former X Factor boss Simon Cowell spoke about her romance with Liam.
He said, "I saw them together and we had a really nice dinner ... They were on good form. They're like two little chipmunks madly in love. Literally they were so cute. But importantly they both seemed very happy over here and very relaxed. I'm happy for them."
May 2016
Cheryl and Liam made their first ever red carpet appearance during the Global Gift Gala in Paris, France.
Gazing into each other's eyes, the couple looked more loved up than ever.
May 2016
Liam posted a selfie of the pair on a private jet travelling to France ahead of the Cannes Film Festival.
May 2016
The couple made their second red carpet appearance in just one month when they appeared at the Cannes Film Festival.
Liam was supporting Cheryl who was attending the event as part of her brand ambassador role for L'Oreal.
July 2016
Cheryl and Liam moved in together, with Cheryl announcing the news with a funny message on Instagram. Sharing this photo of Liam with her beloved dog, she wrote, 'Our new family member 🐶😁😍😭 he is beyond cute.. 😩 the dog is adorable too 😏 @toosmallforteacups thank you ❤️. sic
September 2016
Rumours started in the press that Cheryl was pregnant with Liam's child after she was spotted with a 'fuller figure' at a L'Oreal event in Paris.
September 2016
Liam fueled the pregnancy rumours even further when he changed his Instagram bio to read, 'The luckiest man alive'.
He then uploaded this cute photo of the pair wearing face masks, declaring how much he misses his girlfriend. He wrote, 'I miss you!...the things you make me do🤓😋 home soon!'.
October 2016
Cheryl's divorce from her ex-husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini was finalised, with the former couple being granted a 'quickie divorce'.
November 2016
After months of rumours surrounding her pregnancy, Cheryl and Liam seemed to confirm them when they stepped out hand-in-hand at the Fayre of St James' Christmas Concert in London.
Cheryl made the decision to leave her long coat open as she 'showed off' her small baby bump to fans and press.
December 2016
Amidst all of the rumours, Cheryl and Liam posted some playful selfies to their social media accounts to celebrate their first ever Christmas together.
February 2017
It's official - Cheryl and Liam are having a baby!
After not attending The BRIT Awards in 2017, Cheryl seemed to confirm her pregnancy once and for all when she posed in a photo holding her large bump for a new L'Oreal campaign.
March 2017
After months of speculation, Cheryl and Liam confirmed to the world that they've welcomed a baby boy called Bear Grey Payne.
Revealing he was born on Wednesday 22nd March, Cheryl wrote, 'Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy, weighing 7lb 9 and looking like a dream. Although he still doesn't have a name he is already stealing hearts. We are all madly in love and overwhelmingly happy with our little arrival. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers around the world. A day that now has a different meaning to me forever 💙'. sic
June 2017
Breaking her social media silence for the first time since welcoming baby Bear, Cheryl uploaded a snap of Liam to wish him a Happy Father's Day.
She wrote, 'Happy 1st Father's Day Liam.. You are the most amazing daddy and the best example for our son. The way he looks at you says it all. Your relationship melts my heart. You are the centre of his world & We adore you 🐻🌎💙'.
July 2017
After months of staying out of the public eye, Cheryl shared a cute photo of herself and Liam enjoying a date night without baby Bear.
October 2017
As Liam started to release his debut solo music, including songs like 'Strip That Down', 'Get Low' and 'Bedroom Floor', Cheryl couldn't resist gushing about her man's handsome looks.
Sharing this photo, Cheryl wrote, 'I had to .. I mean 👀 come onnnn 😩😍'.
February 2018
After months of no social posts and no public appearances, fans started to think Liam and Cheryl were having relationship issues.
That was until Liam posted this adorable photo of his son Bear to help wish Cheryl a Happy Valentine's Day. He wrote, 'Happy Valentine's Day @cherylofficial and everyone. looks like I've got the big guy to compete with now 🤷🏻♂️😂😂😂'.
February 2018
Cheryl sent fans into meltdown when she appeared to be wearing an engagement ring on her ring finger as she met Prince Charles.
Representatives for the couple later explained Cheryl's choice of jewellery was simply 'costume jewellery'.
February 2018
Stories in the press suggested Liam and Cheryl's relationship had come to an end due to the pair's busy work schedules.
February 2018
Shutting down split rumours, the couple attended The BRIT Awards 2018 together, putting on a very loved up display on the red carpet.
February 2018
After certain news outlets claimed Cheryl and Liam's public display of affection at The BRIT Awards 2018 was a 'stunt', Cheryl angrily hit back on Twitter, calling it 'ludicrous and weird'.
May 2018
Liam spent a lot of time in America as he promoted his solo music, leaving Cheryl and Bear at home.
June 2018
After not being seen together for four months, fans started to speculate a split when Liam failed to publicly address Cheryl's birthday on the 30th June.
July 2018
After two years together, on Sunday 1st July both Cheryl and Liam announced they had split. Releasing a joint statement on Twitter, it read, 'We 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.' [sic
After months of attempting to keep their pregnancy a secret, both Liam and Cheryl announced they'd welcomed a baby boy into the world on 22nd March 2017. Posting the same adorable photo on Instagram, the pair gushed over their little boy and later confirmed he is called Bear Grey Payne.
Liam wrote, 'My close friends and family know there are very few times when I'm left speechless... wow! I'm incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far.
'I'm completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she's really made my dreams come true. We haven't named him yet but he's already capturing hearts including mine. I feel very blessed.' sic
Meanwhile, just last month Liam dropped his brand new single 'Familiar' featuring Colombian singer J Balvin.
You can hear 'Familiar' on the MFR playlist.