It seems that One Direction fans have got a little hot under the collar as rumors emerged that Liam Payne is set to follow Louis Tomlinson into One Direction’s fatherhood club. Payne has reportedly been dating Cheryl Fernandez-Versini since last December, and the rumor mill has gone into overdrive on several occasions since that time. The favorite topics have been when Liam and Cheryl will marry and whether or not the couple are expecting a child. On this occasion, it seems that the rumors began with gossip mag Celebs Now .
According to the outlet, the fact that Liam and Cheryl haven’t been seen together in public for a while is evidence that the couple are “hiding something.” The story speculates that Cheryl must be expecting Payne’s baby because, apparently, Liam has asked bandmate Louis Tomlinson some questions about babies.
One Direction’s Liam Payne & Cheryl getting BABY advice from Louis Tomlinson – Pregnant? – Unreality TV https://t.co/UppkAADflb
— Louis Tomlinson News (@LouTomlinsonACE) September 11, 2016
Whether that claim is true or not is open to speculation, because Celebs Now cite an unattributed source and claim, “Liam appears to have raised eyebrows with his enthusiastic questions about how his friend is finding first-time fatherhood.”
This source is apparently a friend of Louis’ who claims that Payne has been asking Tomlinson baby questions.
“Liam’s been overly keen in asking Louis lots of baby-related questions lately.
“Even Louis thought it was strange and asked him if Cheryl was pregnant. Liam ducked the question, but it left Louis a little surprised that he was being quizzed so much about it.”
Unreality TV picks up the story and claims that Cheryl has always wanted to be a mom, pointing out that she seems to have gained a little weight recently. Of course, the fact is that neither Liam or Cheryl have said anything at all about this rumored pregnancy, and you can be pretty sure that one of Simon Cowell’s favored journalists would have broken the news by now if it were true. After all, Briana Jungwirth had barely climbed out of Louis Tomlinson’s bed before the Sun’s U.S. editor, Pete Samson, who is married to Simon Cowell’s head of PR, broke the news of her pregnancy .
Add to this the fact that rumors circulated back in May that Liam and Cheryl were expecting a baby. If this was true, Cheryl would have an enormous baby bump by now, rather than having gained a couple of pounds.
Cheryl Cole has done a Blac Chyna and set her self up for life. Pregnant with Liam's bay 100%
— S🦁 (@SLCLeo1_) May 9, 2016
When it comes to claims that Payne is to become a dad, there is simply no evidence to support the rumors. That said, Payne would do well to learn from Louis Tomlinson’s experience as One Direction’s first father. It has never been clear as to why Tomlinson chose not to talk about becoming a dad. Louis has still never mentioned Briana Jungwirth’s name in public, not even when he announced the arrival of little Freddie Tomlinson.
Louis’ silence served only to feed a frenzy of speculation and hundreds of conspiracy theories, something Payne would do very well to avoid. The problem for Liam and Cheryl is that they are pushed into a no-win situation when rumors like this emerge. Should Liam deny the claim, some will assume that he is hiding something even if the claims are totally untrue. Many One Direction fans are still sceptical that Freddie Tomlinson even exists and many maintain that Liam’s relationship with Cheryl is a PR stunt. Cheryl signed to One Direction’s management company at roughly the same time that her romance with Payne began.
Liam Payne & Cheryl Having A Baby? Simon Cowell Hints They’re Ready For A Family https://t.co/ZeAIA4u9li via @Hollywoodlife
— alexander (@lookmaker123) September 6, 2016
It is a sad fact that One Direction fans have been exposed to so many false stories about Liam Payne and his bandmates that they have come to believe that any story is false. When a story about Liam emerges, the One Direction fandom turns detective and sets out to prove or disprove the story. On occasion, this research leads to totally believable evidence to support fan theories and, as Louis Tomlinson can tell Liam, that can lead to a really difficult situation for everyone involved.
Louis would undoubtedly tell Liam to be open and honest if he is having a baby with Cheryl. Even then, some fans will be convinced that Payne has been pushed into an ill-judged PR stunt by an avaricious management team. Of course, One Direction’s team could never comment on every rumor that emerges about Liam or one of the other boys. If they did, some fans would assume they are lying anyway.
[Photo by KGC-305/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images]
