Liam Payne's heartbreaking final words about 'mini-me' son Bear resurface following his death aged 31

17 October 2024, 13:02 | Updated: 17 October 2024, 22:10

Liam Payne's final words about his son, Bear, have resurfaced after the former One Direction star's death.

Liam Payne was found dead after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old's cause of death has been confirmed as a skull fracture, as well as multiple other severe injuries.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances behind his untimely death.

Following the incident, his recent remarks about his "mini-me" son resurfaced on social media.

Payne welcomed his son, Bear, with Cheryl Cole in March 2017.

Speaking earlier in the year, while celebrating his birthday, he opened up about the seven-year-old.

Read more: The Story of His Life: Liam Payne - the boy from Wolverhampton with The X Factor

Read more: Revealed: 911 call made by hotel manager before Liam Payne was found dead

In an Instagram video, Payne said: "I didn't get any dad socks yet though. I'm going to speak to my son in a little bit which I'm really excited about.

"Bless him. He's getting so big now.

"He's a big boy and he looks like a mini me. As if we needed any more me in the world."

Payne first got together with Cheryl Cole in 2016, following her divorce from Jean Fernandez-Versini.

The couple met on The X Factor when he was a contestant and she was a judge. They later split in 2018.

They have mostly kept their son out of the public eye but Payne had previously given an insight into his relationship with Bear.

In an interview with People in 2022, he said his son looked at him like a "superhero". 

"I see him two times a week, three times a week sometimes. And I make sure when I see him, he has 100 percent of my time," he said.

Payne went on to date Maya Henry in 2019, with them getting engaged the following year before splitting in 2022.

The star was going out with influencer Kate Cassidy at the time of his death.