Cheryl Cole, ex-partner of late pop star Liam Payne and mother to his son, has been officially named as the administrator of the singer's $32.2 million estate, after he died without leaving a will.
According to court documents filed on May 1 and cited by People, the UK singer and attorney Richard Mark Bray will now oversee the estate of the former One Direction member. Payne, who shared an 8-year-old son, Bear, with Cole, passed away last year at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Reports say Payne's UK estate is valued at roughly $38 million gross, with a net worth of around $32.2 million. Under UK law, in cases where a person dies intestate (without a will), their estate typically passes on to their children or legal spouse. Cheryl and Bray have been granted authority to manage the assets but are currently restricted from distributing them.
Payne's sudden death on October 16, 2024, sent shockwaves through the music world. Officials said he suffered fatal head injuries after a fall, with a partial autopsy revealing the presence of multiple drugs in his system. His hotel room reportedly contained substances including crack cocaine and 'pink cocaine,' and CCTV footage captured the singer behaving erratically just before his death.
Following the tragedy, Cheryl Cole issued an emotional statement, urging the public to remember Payne as more than just a celebrity. "Liam was not only a pop star, he was a son, brother, uncle, dear friend, and father to our son," she wrote, asking for compassion during what she called an "indescribably painful time."
His girlfriend at the time, Kate Cassidy, also spoke out about her grief, revealing the emotional struggle she has faced since his passing.
Payne was laid to rest in a private funeral on November 20, attended by his former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan.
