Cheryl 'called Liam Payne the only man who never cheated on her' before split

Cheryl and Liam Payne parted ways in 2018, less than two years after they welcomed their first child together

Cheryl has referred to Liam Payne as the "only man who never cheated on her", and has consistently defended her ex-partner, even after their separation. The pair first became an item in 2016, shortly following Cheryl's unexpected divorce from Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.

In 2017, Cheryl and Liam welcomed their son Bear into the world. However, less than a year later, Cheryl and Liam sadly announced their split, but remained committed to speaking positively about each other for the sake of their child.

In a 2018 interview, Cheryl hinted at past relationship troubles, including repeated infidelity by her ex-husband Ashley Cole. Speaking to The Sunday Times' Style magazine, she stated that the former One Direction member "is the only man who has ever been faithful".

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Despite her amicable split with Liam, the Fight for This Love singer was unfazed, stating she had found the "man of her dreams" - their son Bear. "I'm not looking for anything any more. I'm whole. I've got the man of my dreams," Cheryl expressed.

When rumours of their split surfaced, many speculated Liam had been unfaithful, but the Strip That Down singer dismissed these rumours, admitting they had separated due to his struggles with fatherhood, reports the Mirror.

The singer opened up about the challenges he faced becoming a father at 23, admitting that the enormity of parenthood "messed me up". During his appearance on the 2019 documentary Ant Middleton and Liam Payne: Straight Talking, he shared that being a young dad was a "difficult thing" and that the thought of his new responsibilities initially overwhelmed him.

"And I think I built fatherhood up so much in my head that it kind of messed me up to start with. I started in a bad place with it," he went on to say. "I think it spooked me out early on, and I was just worried I would not be enough to look after the both of them," Liam elaborated.

He later acknowledged his lack of understanding of what Cheryl, who suffered a serious haemorrhage after their son Bear's birth, experienced, stating that he "didn't understand" the difficulties the Girls Aloud singer encountered as a new mother. Despite their separation, Liam praised Cheryl during an episode of Logan Paul's podcast Impulsive, calling her "the best mum in the world". "I couldn't ask for someone better," he reflected.

Cheryl also shared with the Daily Mail in 2019 that she and Liam have found harmony in co-parenting, and she expressed contentment over its beneficial influence on their son.

"There's no animosity whatsoever. We are learning all the time. And it's good, it's healthy. We're just like any other couple that have gone through this, but we have a few more eyes watching us...just a few," she added, affirming the absence of hard feelings. Cheryl has maintained a dignified silence about Liam in recent months, which many One Direction fans speculated was her protecting her ex for the sake of their son Bear.