She’s still the one.
Liam Payne’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his only child, Cheryl Cole, has been named the administrator of the late One Direction singer’s $32.2 million estate after he passed away without a will.
In court documents dated May 1 and obtained by People, the Girls Aloud singer, 41, and attorney Richard Mark Bray were listed as the official administrators of Payne’s estate.
The late musician had 8-year-old son Bear with Cole, whom he dated from 2014 to 2016.
The legal paperwork reportedly outlined the gross value of Payne’s UK estate at $38 million, with his net sitting at about $32.2 million.
Cole and Bray will “manage the money, but they currently have limited authority and cannot distribute it,” reported the BBC, noting that when someone in the UK dies without a will, husband, wife or civil partner, the deceased person’s children usually inherit the estate.
Payne plunged to his death when he fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16, 2024.
The “What Makes You Beautiful” singer was 31.
Following the tragedy, Cole released a statement and begged for compassion.
“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,” she posted to Instagram.
“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 harsh reality of never seeing his father again,” Cole continued. “I am begging you.”
Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, whom he dated for roughly two years until his death, had been traveling with the superstar and returned home to Florida just days before his passing.
She has been candid about the mourning process, disclosing details of their last chilling conversation and admitting that some days, it’s “hard for me to get out of bed.”
Officials ruled that Payne suffered a “cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.” However, his hotel room was littered with drugs and alcohol.
A partial autopsy revealed that he also had a toxic mixture of drugs in his system when he died, including crack and “pink cocaine.”
Footage showed Payne acting “erratic” in the hotel lobby, where he allegedly smashed his laptop before being carried back to his room ahead of his fatal fall.
Several people were charged with manslaughter in connection with Payne’s drug-fueled death, including his close pal Roger Nores and two hotel employees; however, those charges have since been dropped.
The singer’s funeral took place Nov. 20 with his One Direction bandmates — Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan — all in attendance.
