“Liam Payne Died Without a Will — Now Cheryl Tweedy Must ‘Preserve the Deceased’s Estate’ Amid $32 Million Battle”

Liam Payne Died Without a Will – Cheryl Tweedy Named to Help Manage $32m Estate

LONDON — Former One Direction star Liam Payne died without leaving a will, sparking a legal process over the fate of his estimated £25 million ($32 million) estate. A British court has now appointed Payne’s former partner Cheryl Tweedy and music industry solicitor Richard Bray to serve as temporary administrators.

Court documents reviewed by UK media confirm that Tweedy, the mother of Payne’s only child, Bear, will help oversee the preservation of the singer’s estate while probate proceedings continue.

In the UK, when someone dies intestate — that is, without a valid will — their estate is passed down according to strict legal guidelines. The surviving spouse has the first legal claim, followed by children or next of kin. Payne and Tweedy were never married but shared custody of their 8-year-old son.

While the court has not yet made a final ruling on the estate’s distribution, Tweedy and Bray have been granted limited authority. According to the BBC, they are not permitted to distribute funds at this stage. Instead, their responsibility is to “preserve the deceased’s estate until a general grant is made” by the court.

Payne, who rose to global fame as a member of One Direction, died tragically last October after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. He was 31. Police later confirmed the presence of various substances in his system at the time of his death.

Payne had been in Argentina to support fellow bandmate Niall Horan on tour and travelled with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. Cassidy left the country days before Payne’s death and has no involvement in the handling of his estate.

Cheryl Tweedy, known earlier in her career as Cheryl Cole, became a household name in the UK both as a pop star and judge on The X Factor, where she and Payne first met. Payne was a contestant on the show in both 2008 and 2010, eventually being placed into One Direction by Simon Cowell.

The pair began dating in 2016 and welcomed their son Bear the following year. Although they split in 2018, they maintained a cordial relationship and co-parented their son privately.

Legal experts say the lack of a will could complicate the long-term handling of Payne’s fortune, which includes royalties, investments, and property. It remains unclear how the estate will eventually be divided.

For now, the court has tasked Tweedy and Bray with safeguarding the assets until a full grant of probate is issued. Only then can the estate be lawfully administered in accordance with UK intestacy law.

With millions at stake and a young child involved, the case underscores the importance of proper estate planning — even for the young and successful.