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Cheryl Cole, Liam Payne's former girlfriend and the mother of his son, Bear, has been named administrator of his multi-million-dollar estate. Payne, who was part of the One Direction band, died at the age of 31 in October 2024 while visiting Argentina. Moreover, he reportedly didn't leave behind a will.
In court documents issued on May 1, 2025, as cited by People on Wednesday, May 7, Cheryl and attorney Richard Mark Bray were appointed as the administrators of Payne's estate. The documents mentioned that the ex-1D member left a $38 million estate in the UK after he died, which after taxes and expenses is now worth $32.2 million.
According to the BBC, if someone dies without a will and if he or she has no living wife, husband or partner, the deceased's children typically inherit the estate. Liam Payne had never married, but he shared an eight-year-old son with the Girls Aloud singer.
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Cheryl Cole herself is worth $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
BBC also reported that while Cheryl and the music industry lawyer are the administrators of Payne's estate, they currently hold limited authority over it. The outlet also mentioned that neither of them can distribute the estate.
Cheryl Cole, named administrator of Liam Payne's $32.2 million estate, is worth $40 million
Cheryl Ann Tweedy, better known in the music scene as Cheryl Cole or Cheryl, has made a name and fortune for herself as a singer as well as a judge on television music competitions. She began her music career as part of Girls Aloud, a British-Irish pop band that originated during the talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.
The group, which also featured Sarah Harding, Nadine Cole, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, topped the UK charts with their music. Their debut single, Sound of the Underground, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album, also titled Sound of the Underground, was released in 2003 and was certified platinum.
Cheryl was part of the group and their success until 2008, which is when she began her solo career. She first appeared on will.i.am's Heartbreaker and the following year, she released her solo album, 3 Words, which topped the UK charts for two weeks. She has many other chart-topping hits, including Call My Name and I Don't Care.
Besides singing, Cheryl also featured as a judge on The X Factor. She joined the UK version of the competition in 2008 and remained on the judging panel of the ITV talent show until 2010.
The following year, she was slated to judge the US version of The X Factor for two seasons, but she was there for only three weeks.
According to the BBC, Cheryl Cole sued the show's producers for $2.3 million for loss of earnings after her premature removal. The BBC mentioned that the case has been settled, with the production company paying the singer an undisclosed sum.
She was reportedly promised a $1.8 million salary for the first season and an additional $2 million for season 2, which was allegedly a "pay or play" deal, meaning that she would be paid even if she was let go.
Cheryl Cole dated Liam Payne from 2016 to 2018. At the time of his death, Payne was dating influencer Kate Cassidy.
