New details have emerged showing that former One Direction star, Liam Payne, died without leaving a will, resulting in his ex-partner Cheryl Cole and a music lawyer to sort out his multimillion-dollar estate.
According to UK court records obtained by Rolling Stone, Payne did not have an executed will when he died at 31 in Buenos Aires after a fall from a hotel balcony.
This means he died ‘intestate’, a legal term for passing away without a will in place. As a result, Cheryl Cole — who is the mother of Payne’s only child, Bear — has been named one of the administrators of his estate, alongside music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray.
Payne’s estate is substantial. Court documents show that the gross value of his assets was about £28.6 million (roughly $59 million), with a net value of £24.3 million (about $50 million) after debts and expenses.
Because there was no will, Cole and Bray are responsible for managing Payne’s finances, property, and possessions. Under British law, if someone dies without a will and isn’t married, their children are the first in line to inherit the estate.
While Cheryl and Bray have been appointed as administrators, their authority is currently limited — they can manage the assets but cannot distribute them just yet.
It’s possible that some of the estate could be put into a trust for Bear, Payne’s eight-year-old son.
Payne’s death was ruled accidental. A toxicology analysis revealed he had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his fall.
Local prosecutors in Argentina initially brought involuntary manslaughter charges against three people, but those charges were later dismissed.
After Payne’s death, Cheryl Cole shared a heartfelt statement on Instagram, asking for respect and privacy for their family:
“As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” she wrote.
“Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7-year-old son. A son [who] now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again. Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”
Payne is survived by Bear, his parents, his two older sisters, and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
For now, Cheryl Cole and Richard Bray will continue to manage Payne’s estate, ensuring his assets are handled according to the law and, most importantly, in Bear’s best interests.
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