Liam Payne's selfless trait that made him Cheryl's one good man after cheating agony

Cheryl and Liam Payne parted ways in 2018, but they maintained the utmost respect for each other and never badmouthed each other in interviews. The Girls Aloud star even once praised Liam for possessing one important trait she felt her other partners had lacked

After a string of heartbreaks, Cheryl Tweedy found herself a faithful man in Liam Payne, but it sadly wasn't to be.

And although Liam and Cheryl went their separate ways after having their son Bear, she always had plenty of good things to say about his positive traits.

The Girls Aloud singer shared her devastation as the One Direction star tragically died last month after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Cheryl, now 41, was one of The X Factor judges who catapulted Liam and his One Direction bandmates to mega-stardom before his name became known all across the globe. Their friendship turned romantic in 2016, with the couple welcoming son Bear, now seven, the following year.

Cheryl and Liam, who was just 31 when he passed away, went their separate ways shortly after Bear's first birthday but continued to co-parent amicably as a team, even making sure to sit down for Christmas dinner together.

As well as praising his abilities as a father, Cheryl also appeared to look back fondly on their time together, once claiming that Liam was the only man she'd been with who hadn't gone behind her back.

Speaking with The Sunday Times' Style magazine back in 2018, Cheryl told journalist Decca Aitkenhead how Liam was 'the only man who has ever been faithful to her'. Cheryl, who hasn't gone public with another relationship in the years since expressed contentment in her life as a single mum to little Bear. In a sweet reflection on the joy she's found in motherhood, Cheryl shared: "I'm fulfilled. I'm not looking for anything any more. I'm whole. I've got the man of my dreams."

The girl band star was married twice before her relationship with Liam began. From 2004 to 2010, she was with footballer hubby Ashley Cole, finding herself at the centre of WAG mania alongside the likes of Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney.

It wasn't always glamour and jet-setting, however, and in 2008, Cheryl's seemingly happy first marriage began to crumble amid allegations that Ashley had been carrying on an affair with hairdresser Aimee Walton. Recalling the moment she found out in her 2012 memoir Cheryl: My Story, Cheryl wrote: "'I hope you enjoyed it!', I screamed. 'I hope she was worth it! It's the end of your marriage. You don't understand what you've done. It's f***ed!'. After hours of me ranting, screaming and crying uncontrollably, I was exhausted."

The Geordie pop sensation did eventually decide to give things another try, with her efforts inspiring one of her most famous tracks - Fight For This Love.

In an interview with Hello! magazine at the time, Cheryl explained why exactly she'd chosen to stay by Ashley's side in spite of his betrayal, declaring: "You don't have to just give up when two people who love each other have a few problems. Anyone who throws in the towel ends up achieving nothing." She added: "I've never defended him and I don't want to go into this subject. But my message is still the same. If it's worth fighting for then fight. And in the case of me and my husband, it's worth it. We love each other."

Despite putting up a fight, however, by 2010, it was all over, with Cheryl filing for divorce after additional cheating allegations emerged, citing 'unreasonable behaviour'. They remained close after the split, with Cheryl admitting during an episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories that part of her would 'always love' Ashley.

In the summer of July 2014, Cheryl surprised fans after marrying husband number two, French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versinim, in a secret wedding. The couple had only been dating for three months before their big day, having first locked eyes at the Cannes Film Festival where Cheryl had been representing L'Oreal as an ambassador.

Taking to her official website at the time with a photograph of her new sparkler, Cheryl announced: "I usually do not discuss my personal life but to stop the speculation I want to share my happy news. Jean-Bernard and I married on 7/7/14. We are very happy and excited to move forward with our lives together."

The whirlwind romance didn't last, however, and by 2016, Cheryl was back in the divorce courts once more, with the popstar claiming that her husband's 'unreasonable behaviour' had caused her 'stress and weight loss'. Jean-Bernard has reportedly since denied cheating on Cheryl, following the assertion that Liam was her only loyal partner.

Speaking with The Sun in 2018, it was reported that Jean-Bernard had told a friend: "I never cheated and I did everything I could to keep my marriage as it is sacred to me. Trust me, if I had cheated it would have been on the court papers. It's the same thing with her weight loss. That wasn't my fault either but she needs to blame somebody."

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