Liam Payne’s ex Cheryl Cole was appointed an administrator of the late singer’s $32 million estate after he died last year without a will.
The TV personality — who shares 8-year-old son Bear with the One Direction alum — and music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray were named as co-administrators in court documents obtained by Rolling Stone Wednesday.
The duo will determine decisions regarding Payne’s money, property and belongings.
Although Cole, 41, and Bray will manage the money, they have “limited authority and cannot distribute it,” per BBC.
According to the outlet, when someone dies without a will in the UK, their children will typically inherit the fortune if there is no living spouse or civil partner.
The “Teardrops” singer and Cole dated from 2016 to 2018.
The exes initially met on “The X Factor” in 2010 when Cole was a judge alongside Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger. They were responsible for forming One Direction.
Cole and Payne began dating years later and welcomed their son in 2017 before calling it quits the following year.
“Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways,” Payne announced via social media at the time. “It’s been a tough decision for us to make.”
He continued, “We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
Payne was in a relationship with Kate Cassidy when he died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024. He was 31.
The “Strip That Down” singer suffered fatal injuries after falling from his hotel room balcony.
Payne had reportedly been partying and drinking with prostitutes leading up to his death.
Five people were charged in connection to his death, including two hotel employees, who were accused of supplying the singer with drugs.
Cassidy, who started dating Payne in 2022, had left Argentina a few days before he died.
Read the full article here
