Liam Payne’s ex Cheryl Cole takes control of his $32 million estate

Liam Payne’s former partner, Cheryl Cole, has been appointed to manage his $32.2 million estate following his death without a will.

Court documents obtained by People magazine reveal that Cole, with whom Liam Payne shares their eight-year-old son Bear, will administer the estate alongside music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray.

The estate is valued at around $32.2 million (£24.2 million) after settling debts and expenses, according to the filing.

Cole (also known as Cheryl Tweedy) and Bray have been granted limited authority over the estate, pending a full probate grant, per documents reviewed by the BBC.

Until then, they are not authorized to distribute any assets from the estate.

Payne passed away in October at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina.

The cause of death was identified as multiple traumatic injuries with both internal and external bleeding. A toxicology report indicated the presence of drugs in his system, prompting an investigation into the incident.

Cole and  Liam Payne first met when he auditioned for The X Factor at age 14. They began a relationship a decade later and were together from 2016 to 2018.