Liam Payne’s eight-year-old son Bear will likely not see his father’s £24million fortune until after he turns 25, it has been claimed.
Girls Aloud star Cheryl, 41, and the late One Direction star – who died aged 31 in October after falling from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony – welcomed Bear together in 2017 during their two-year relationship.
Last week it was reported that Payne died without a will and Cheryl was granted power of administration over his estate alongside music lawyer Richard Bray, according to The Sun.
Now, the publication has claimed Cheryl plans to block Bear from his inheritance until he is 25 years old, so he is mature enough to decide how to handle it.
A source told the publication: ‘Cheryl wants to protect Bear and is going to stop him receiving Liam’s inheritance until he’s at least 25 years old, if not older.
‘She feels she wants Bear to be of an age where he can make informed decisions about the money.
‘There are lots of conversations ongoing and Cheryl may even allow the money to be given only in chunks throughout his late 20s and 30s.’
They added that the money will be invested until Bear is old enough to receive it, as Cheryl wants him to have his own ‘ambition’ and ‘drive to succeed’ without the immediate financial back-up.
‘She’s aware that people may want to befriend him because they are aware of his situation,’ they added.
Other sources previously insisted Cheryl ‘will always do the right thing by her beloved son’ when it comes to handling Payne’s estate.
‘It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that,’ one source told the Daily 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.’
While Payne was in a relationship with girlfriend Kate Cassidy at the time of his death, as they were not married or in a civil partnership, under UK intestacy rules she will receive nothing.
Bear was co-parented by Payne and Cheryl for years after their 2018 split, and months before his death the Strip That Down hitmaker posted a sweet picture of the youngster looking up at a Billboard of him. .
‘I want to be on a billboard one day daddy,’ Payne captioned the post.
After the news broke of Payne’s death, Cheryl – who attended his funeral alongside Payne’s former One Direction bandmates – took to social media with an emotional statement, which read: ‘As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.
‘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 7 year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.’
She added that her spirit was being troubled by the thought of not being able to protect Bear in the future from seeing some reports.
‘Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourselves if you’d like your own family or child to read them.
‘Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last. Thank you, Cheryl.’
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