Cheryl reportedly played peacemaker at Liam Payne’s funeral, smoothing over tensions among the One Direction members.
The singer, who was in a relationship with Liam from 2016 to 2018 and is the mother of his son, was supported by Girls Aloud members Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh at the intimate service on Wednesday. Zayn Malik and the rest of his One Direction bandmates set their differences aside to attend the funeral, marking their first reunion in nearly a decade.
The last time they were together was when they cheered on Louis as he performed just days after his mother’s death – another “absolutely tragic” event.
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Since then, there have reportedly been difficulties among the group, but 41 year old Cheryl, who has been a huge support to Liam’s parents, Geoff and Karen, and sisters, Nicola and Ruth, was there to help the former bandmates. After the wake, it’s understood that Cheryl welcomed Liam’s family and friends, including the 1D gang, into a circular marquee in the back garden of Liam’s mansion near Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.
Louis Tomlinson joined the rest of the remaining One Direction members at Liam Payne’s funeral (
WireImage)
Cheryl reportedly played a key role in planning Liam’s funeral (
WireImage)
It seems Cheryl helped smooth things over here, hours after Liam was laid to rest, reports the Mirror.
An insider dished to the Daily Mail about the boyband’s dynamic: “Of course, they all wanted to be there, they shared so much with Liam. But that doesn’t mean they are best friends any more. They haven’t worked together for almost ten years – they have grown apart. In fact, the last time they all met up, it was because Simon Cowell insisted they did after Louis’s mum died, and that was eight years ago.”
The boys may have drifted over the years, but they were united in grief at the memorial inside the marque, the Daily Mail reports. At the service, friends of Liam shared memories, including how he and his son held a special connection through life-sized dinosaur statues, which were present at the event signifying hope and cherished times.
According to the publication, it is known that Louis and Zayn shared an especially close bond with Liam, hailing from Wolverhampton, West Midlands. A source revealed to the Mail, shaken by the news, “Louis and Zayn were such a support to Liam in the last few years. They are distraught.”
Emotions spiked even higher as a formal statement from “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry” rolled out following the day after Liam’s passing on October 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Their message left some space for healing and more words in the future: “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.”
“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured for ever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”