Cheryl Addresses ‘False Articles’ About Liam Payne Split

Just a day after Liam Payne and Cheryl announced their split, she set the record straight about unsubstantiated rumors that her mother had a role in the break-up.

“I hate responding to stuff [especially] at such difficult times but I cannot sit here and listen to such nasty, false articles regarding my mam,” Cheryl wrote about the rumors on Twitter. “I don’t know why they involve her in stories about me. I can assure you she has nothing to do with any of it.”

Cheryl, who is known professionally by just her first name, continued, “I am a grown woman who is capable of dealing with my own life. She is a soft and kind woman who doesn’t deserve to be dragged into something that has nothing whatsoever to do with her.”

Her statement referred to a report published by The Sun Online. After the break-up, the tabloid claimed Cheryl’s mother, Joan Callaghan, was moving in with the singer. Payne and Cheryl were living in a home in Surrey he owned, but he moved back to London.

“Technically, the Surrey house is his, but he didn’t want the break up to be disruptive for Bear and he’s happy for Cheryl to live there,” a source told The Sun. “She’s really made her mark on the place and her mum has been staying for the past week to help out and spend her birthday with her.”

Payne and Cheryl announced their split on Twitter Sunday. The split came after months of rumors they were already headed for a break-up.

“Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make,” Payne wrote on Twitter. “We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”

Payne, 24, and Cheryl, 35, are parents to 1-year-old son Bear. They started dating in 2016, after Cole split from her second husband, Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini. She was also married to Major League Soccer star Ashley Cole from 2006 to 2010.

Cheryl is a successful British singer with five U.K. number one hits, including “Crazy Stupid Love,” “Call My Name” and “I Don’t Care.” She was also a judge on the U.K. version of The X-Factor and judged the short-lived U.S. version. Cheryl gained fame after joining the girl group Girls Aloud during the reality show Popstars UK.

As for Payne, he was a member of One Direction and is planning an upcoming solo album. He reportedly has a £54 million ($70.9 million) fortune.