Cheryl does NOT want Liam’s new lady friends near their son
He’s moved on pretty darn quickly…
Some people spend the weeks following a big break-up sobbing into a vat of ice cream, others choose to get off with everyone and anyone they can. Liam Payne is apparently going with that last option. Just weeks after splitting from Cheryl, the 1D singer has already been linked to a number of different women, and last week, pictures showed him holding hands with his new girlfriend, model Cairo Dwek.
Unsurprisingly, it seems to have not gone down well with his ex, who is said to be raging over his “immature” behaviour. “Everyone is shocked that Liam has moved on so quickly,” says an insider close to Cheryl, who split with the boy-band star last month after two years together. “She’s really upset and humiliated. Part of her was expecting this – there had been no spark between them for ages, so she guessed Liam would be out there flirting with loads of girls soon after the split. But she can’t help being surprised that he’s seemingly in a new relationship already, not to mention how public it all is.”
The former One Direction star has been seen with Cairo, 20, several times now, and the pair have enjoyed trips to France and Italy together. Last week, they were photographed strolling around hand-in-hand and kissing at the five-star hotel Villa d’este in Lake Como, Italy. Liam has also been linked to socialite Maya Henry, 18, who he first met in 2015 when she was a 1D fan, and had a dinner date with at the Bulgari Hotel in London. As if that wasn’t enough to keep any man busy,
last week, Liam’s ex-girlfriend Danielle Peazer hinted that she was back in touch with Liam, too. During a Q&A with fans, the 30-year-old dancer – who dated the 1D star on and off for almost three years – admitted she’d heard his new single weeks before its release date. When asked if they were still in touch, she cryptically replied, “I’m gonna keep that between him and I.” Shortly afterwards, she announced she was taking some “time off ” from social media.
“It might all seem quick, but the relationship with Cheryl had been dead in the water for quite some time,” says our source in Liam’s camp. “He’s just going after what he wants in life. Cairo is a fun, carefree girl who is excited to celebrate his success and attend parties and events with him. Plus, there were problems with Cheryl back in February, but they decided to give it another shot. He did, but really the relationship had been over for a while. So, this doesn’t feel like a rebound to him.”
But friends say there’s more to it for Cheryl, 35, than just the hurt of seeing the father of her 17-monthold son Bear move on so fast. “She’s really concerned about these women meeting her child,” says our Cheryl insider. “What if Liam decides to introduce this new girlfriend to Bear without speaking to her first? Understandably, she’d hate that.
“She doesn’t know how serious things are between Liam and Cairo and, of course, Bear should not be introduced to lots of different women while Liam is figuring things out. Cheryl wants stability for her son and wouldn’t like the idea of all these women coming in and out of Bear’s life.”
The insider adds, “If it is serious with Cairo, that might be even worse, if Liam started to bring Cairo along when he’s spending time with Bear. She presumed Liam would be playing the field for a while, partying and hanging out in LA, but instead it appears he
‘She’s concerned about these women meeting Bear’
may be settling into a new relationship already. That could really change things. They haven’t spoken about it yet, but it’s bound to be a source of anxiety. Right now, Cheryl is working full time, filming [new BBC talent show]
The Greatest Dancer and so is relying on family to babysit Bear – including Liam’s mum.”
The insider adds that Cheryl accepts the fact that Liam will be moving on with his life and is keen for him to have a good relationship with their son. We’re told that, while she doesn’t want to stand in the way of Liam spending time with Bear, she will naturally be worried about who her child is with when he’s not with her.
“Cheryl would never deny Liam having a close relationship with Bear and thinks it’s so important for her son to enjoy time with his daddy,” our insider adds. “It will obviously be very hard for her when Liam does introduce him to other women, but she hopes it will be done sensibly and respectfully. Her main priority will always be Bear’s happiness and what is best for him. These past few months haven’t been easy and seeing Liam with someone new was always going to be a blow, no matter how she feels about him. It’s not an ideal situation, but she is determined to make it work.”
And while Cheryl’s first priority is being a good mum to Bear, we’re told she’s keeping an open mind when it comes to romance. “She’s telling everyone to find her a date – right now,” says the insider. “She’s open to an older man or another hot toyboy. She’s pretty keen not to be thought of as a woman who can’t keep a guy, so she needs to get back out there as soon as possible.
“She’d love to meet someone special – especially since Liam’s already moved on. If he’s doing it, why shouldn’t she?”