'Bear will never want for anything': How Liam Payne made sure his son was set up for life as it's revealed the former One Direction star died without a will

Daily Mail​

07-05-2025

Tragic One Direction star Liam Payne made sure his son Bear would 'never want for anything' after leaving a legacy of £24million as it was revealed he died without a will.
The 31-year-old popstar left a total of £28,595,000 after he fell to his death from a hotel balcony after a drink-drug binge on October 16 last year, though this was reduced to £24,280,000 after his expenses and debts were paid.
Court documents have shown that Payne granted the power of administration of his estate to his ex Cheryl Tweedy, the mother of his eight-year-old son Bear.
It is likely that the fortune will be placed in trust for Liam's son under UK rules of intestacy, where the person's estate is usually passed to the lawful spouse or their nearest blood relative.
As revealed by the Daily Mail's Katie Hind last year, Payne made careful arrangements for his son's financial future - having cannily invested in property, including a mansion in Buckinghamshire.
When someone dies without leaving a will, they are declared intestate - and if they are unmarried but were a parent, as Liam was, the estate is between any children.
Payne reportedly previously paid £357,000 in 2015 for a new home in the West Midlands for his parents Geoff and Karen, while also investing in his own properties.
Meanwhile, the star's family and friends raised a huge amount of money for a children's cancer charity following his death.
It was revealed that more than £31,000 was generated for Great Ormond Street Hospital after people attended his funeral, with fans donating a further £1,808 through online donations in his name.
The money will go towards building a new children's cancer unit at the hospital in London.
Friends have told how that some years ago Liam made plans for his money to go to his only child in the event of his death.
This was despite the fact that there would often be thousands of miles between them, as the singer spent a lot of time in the US and most of their interactions were via video calls on FaceTime.
A source close to the late singer told the Mail: 'Liam had some very sensible people around him for a time and he adored Bear so much. He always wanted to do the right thing by him financially.
'It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that.'
Meanwhile, the latest documents have indicated Liam's girlfriend Kate Cassidy could receive nothing - despite her revealing their plans to marry shortly after his death.
Cheryl, 41, was named in legal documents alongside Richard Bray, a top music lawyer with a track record of representing stars including Ed Sheeran.
Court documents show that the tragic One Direction star was granted the power of administration of his estate to his ex Cheryl Tweedy, the mother of his eight-year-old son Bear. Pictured: Together in 2016
The news Payne did not leave a will comes just six months after fans of the Best Song Ever singer were left stunned by his sudden death from a third floor balcony fall at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina.
His medical cause of death has been confirmed to be 'polytrauma', a term which means a person has multiple traumatic injuries to their body.
Five people have been charged over the singer's death in Argentina after he plunged from a third-floor balcony.
The hotel's manager, a receptionist and a friend of Payne have been charged with manslaughter, Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office previously said in a statement.
Payne was one of five members of hit boyband One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
The band were formed on Simon Cowell's The X Factor before becoming an international sensation. They split in 2016 after Zayn decided to leave the band.
Payne launched a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo, and the track For You with Rita Ora.
After leaving the boyband, Liam was careful to invest in property despite struggling with drug and alcohol addictions.
The news comes just six months after fans of the Best Song Ever singer were left stunned by his sudden death from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina (pictured)
Payne's funeral in November in Buckinghamshire was attended by Cheryl (pictured) and fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, along with his family and friends
Liam had bought the five-bedroom home in Buckinghamshire in 2021 to be close to his ex Cheryl Cole and their son Bear, who live in the area
Cheryl is not publicly known to have had any serious boyfriends since the sudden ending to their relationship in 2018, and was said to have been devastated by his death.
Taking to Instagram shortly after, she said: 'Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven year old son.
'A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.'
Liam's £3.2million home in Buckinghamshire, which he bought to be closer to Bear, went up for sale a month before his sudden death.
He had bought the five-bedroom mansion in Chalfont St Giles in November 2021.
He had moved into a $9,500-a-month mansion in Florida alongside Kate Cassidy just weeks before he died.
It sits on six acres of land and has a swimming pool, a stable and an annex, had been listed for £3.25 million.
The property appeared to have disappeared from the site before a sale went through.
In the wake of his death she tragically revealed that he had handed her a note before he died detailing plans for them to marry
The £3.2million detached property in Buckinghamshire sits on six acres of land and has a swimming pool, a stable and an annex
Although the property was put up for sale on website Rightmove, it no longer appears online
Liam's estate was published as a limited Ad Colligenda Bona grant, which is commonly applied for during the sale of a deceased person's property, where the deceased's executors may have found a buyer for the property shortly after the death.
The absence of a will could mean that Liam's girlfriend at the time of his death could be left with nothing.
In the wake of his death she tragically revealed that he had handed her a note before he died detailing plans for them to marry.
She said her heart was 'shattered' by his shock death, calling the singer her 'best friend, the love of my life'.
Kate explained the pair had written messages to each other as they dreamt of their future together - writing notes that they were manifesting, which is the idea that through the power of belief we can effectively 'think' a goal into becoming reality.
His, which he asked her not to open, pledged his hope that they would marry within the year and be 'together forever'. It was not clear whether she opened this note before or after his death.
And in a loving detail, he added the numbers 444 - which Kate used to sign off her tributes to him. She says it represents the favourite number sequence of the angels, which reminds you that there is always someone there to support you when you are feeling down.
The pair had lived together in a Spanish-style mansion, with the singer showing off his new pad in a video just a month before his death.
Payne was one of five members of hit boyband One Direction- pictureed left to right in November 2013 are Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Payne, Harry Styles and Niall Horan
The rented $1.73million home sits in an exclusive gated community in Wellington, a well-heeled Florida enclave known as 'Horse Town USA' for its abundance of equestrian sports.
The home boasts five bedrooms, six bathrooms and a swish outdoor courtyard with a saltwater pool and waterfalls. A nearby clubhouse offers resort-style amenities including a gym, spa and tennis courts.
Kate had been staying with Payne in Argentina but she left for the Florida mansion two days before the singer died.
Liam successfully became sober at a rehab clinic in 2023, but by the night of his death he had relapsed and consumed alcohol and drugs, reports suggest.
He was seen hanging around the hotel lobby, smashing up his laptop and introducing himself to fans in the hours before his death.
He was eventually taken up to his room by three people but is thought to have accidentally fallen after becoming unconscious.
After his death was announced, Payne's father flew out to Buenos Aires to identify his son ahead of his repatriation to the UK.
Payne's funeral in November in Buckinghamshire was attended by Cheryl and fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, along with his family and friends.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE DIES WITHOUT LEAVING A WILL?
When someone dies without a will in England and Wales, they are said to have died intestate.
Their estate is then shared out according to a set of rules known as the laws of intestacy.
This means that someone dying without drafting a will could have their money and property could be distributed in a way they would not have chosen.
It can also potentially cause problems for partners if there has been no marriage or civil partnership, as they cannot inherit unless included in a will.
If married or in a civil partnership with no children, the surviving partner inherits everything.
This is also the case if the person who died had stepchildren, as they do not stand to inherit anything under the rules of intestacy.
If married or in a civil partnership and with children, the surviving spouse or civil partner inherits everything up to the value of £322,000, plus all personal possessions.
If the estate's value is over £322,000, the partner also inherits half of everything that remains. The rest is then shared equally between their children.
If unmarried with children or grandchildren, the estate is shared equally between the children, not including any stepchildren.
If unmarried and without children, the estate is inherited by the deceased's close relatives in the following order of priority: Parents, brothers and sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins.
And when there are no surviving relatives, the estate passes to the government.
Probate is a legal document that is used to show banks, the Land Registry and other organisations that someone has the authority to deal with an estate.
Once it has been approved, that person is free to sell property, pay off debts, close accounts and distribute assets in accordance with the will.