INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Liam Payne: Are One Direction Fans Set For ‘Babygate’: The Sequel

By Alan Ewart
Published on: 01:54 PST, Apr 9, 2016

Fans of Liam Payne have been scratching their heads in wonder over the last few weeks. It has been widely reported that One Direction star Payne has been dating X-Factor judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. Liam and Cheryl were first linked by U.K. tabloid The Sun at the end of February, and it must be said the news caused the raising of more than a few eyebrows. For many One Direction fans, any article by Dan Wootton The Sun’s head of showbiz reporting, is treated with the utmost suspicion. The links between The Sun and One Direction’s management team mean that fans treat such stories as untrue until it is proven otherwise.

As previously reported in the Inquisitr, fans believe that The Sun has been a major player in the spreading of false stories and unsubstantiated rumors about Payne and his bandmates. As a result, claims that Liam and Cheryl were an item were treated with suspicion. The fact that Cheryl had just signed with One Direction’s management led to much speculation that their relationship was yet another PR stunt.

Cheryl is currently recording a new album and after her last release bombed, the cynic might be tempted to think that being linked to Liam Payne might provide a much-needed boost to her career. Of course many of Payne’s fans were also quick to note that Cheryl is 10-years Liam’s senior and still married to, though estranged from, her French-businessman husband.

Many felt that Payne’s relationship was being stage-managed by Simon Cowell who wanted both Liam and Cheryl as judges on the coming season of his failing X-Factor show. Having both Payne and Cheryl on the judging panel would add a sexual tension to the show and introduce a new dynamic on a show that has been losing viewers for years.

Of course rumors that Liam and Cheryl would both be on the show were scotched earlier this week when it was reported in the Daily Mail that Cheryl had quit to concentrate on her music career. Of course that announcement is far from sufficient to stop gossip about Payne’s relationship.

Today the Mirror claims that Cheryl will be pregnant with Liam’s baby within months. Apparently friends of Liam and Cheryl have claimed that she has moved into Payne’s Calabasas home already and that they are “head-over-heels” in love.

“They are so happy together and head over heels. It is definitely the real deal. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Cheryl had her first child with Liam.”

Despite Payne and Cheryl being spotted with each other on numerous occasions recently, many fans are still very suspicious, so news of a possible second One Direction baby will be received with dismay. Earlier this year Payne’s bandmate, Louis Tomlinson, reportedly became the first One Direction member to father a child. Tomlinson’s baby story has been so dogged with controversy that is has been dubbed “babygate” by One Direction fans.

The last thing Payne’s fans will want to see is Liam becoming embroiled in another babygate story. Whatever the truth about Tomlinson’s baby, the whole story was a PR disaster from beginning to end. Payne and his pals are, in many respects, a product of the information age. In today’s world people demand transparency and openness whether that be from pop stars like Payne or from politicians. Secrets rarely stay secret and as Liam’s pal Louis has discovered, saying nothing only raises the suspicion that you have something to hide.

If Cheryl and Liam are in a relationship, and if they do decide to have a child, fans will hope that Payne has learned from Tomlinson’s experience and deals with things more openly. If there is one thing that Payne’s fans will not want to see it is Liam starring in “babygate: the sequel.”

[Photo by: KGC-305/STAR MAX/IPx/AP]

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