Liam Payne passed away without a will, leaving behind an estimated $32-million estate. His former partner is now tasked with assisting in its management.
Juicy Gossip and Tragic Tale: The Untimely Death of Liam Payne
In an unfortunate turn of events, renowned pop sensation and former One Direction member, Liam Payne, met his untimely end last October at a hotel in Buenos Aires. At just 31 years old, the talented songwriter fell from the balcony of the hotel after consuming a deadly blend of intoxicants.
His ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Tweedy, and a music industry lawyer, Richard Bray, have been appointed administrators of Payne's estate following his demise. However, their roles are limited to "preserving" the estate, owing to the lack of a will.
In the UK, when an individual dies intestate—without a will—their spouse and relatives have priority over the estate, as per the Guardian's review of the court documents. Payne and Tweedy, who share an eight-year-old son named Bear, had never married.
While administrative responsibilities have been assigned, neither Tweedy nor Bray can distribute any money from the estate. The court will make a final decision on the division of Payne's assets, which is estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.
Payne and Tweedy began dating in 2016 and parted ways in mid-2018—less than a year after Bear was born. His girlfriend at the time of his death, Kate Cassidy, has no involvement in the management of his estate.
Police were called to the hotel before Payne's fall in response to a report of an agitated man possibly under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. Upon arrival, they found Payne's lifeless body in the courtyard. "That's What Makes You Beautiful" singer reportedly sustained multiple injuries and internal bleeding due to the fall.
Five individuals were charged in connection with Payne's demise, but three were subsequently cleared. The other two—another hotel employee and a waiter—are still in pretrial detention, facing accusations of providing Payne with narcotics before his death.
Liam Payne's life after One Direction was fraught with addiction struggles, as revealed through his words and interviews with friends and colleagues. Tragically, his battles with substance abuse culminated in his fall from the balcony.
In a bizarre twist, an ex-girlfriend of Payne's, Maya Henry, published a book in 2017 about a character from a popular boy band who considers throwing himself off a balcony. However, the girl in the story manages to prevent him from taking his own life.
(Contributions by Alexandra Del Rosario, August Brown, Jessica Gelt, and Amy Kaufman)
Additional Reading- Amid Liam Payne death probe, singer's friend and two hotel workers cleared of charges- Hotel employee accused of selling drugs to Liam Payne reportedly surrenders to police- Liam Payne's manager, two hotel workers charged in One Direction singer's death
Behind the Scenes:Upon a person's death in the UK, when no will is present, their estate is distributed according to the intestacy rules. These rules differ depending on the deceased's marital status and familial relations.
In General:
- Married with Children: The surviving spouse inherits the first £322,000, personal possessions, and half of the remaining estate. The remaining half is split among the children.
- No Spouse but Children: The entire estate is divided equally among the children.
- No Spouse or Children: The estate goes to the parents, siblings, or their children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or their children. If no relatives are found, the estate is claimed by the Crown.
In Liam Payne's Specific Case:If Payne had no will and was unmarried with children, his entire estate would be inherited equally by his children. His cohabiting partner would not receive any portion of the estate as they are not included in the intestacy rules.
These circumstances highlight the importance of drafting a will to ensure one's wishes are followed with regards to the distribution of their estate.
- In the absence of a will, Liam Payne's ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Tweedy, and music industry lawyer, Richard Bray, can only preserve Payne's estate, as per the UK's intestacy rules.
- Given that Liam Payne died without a will and had no children, his entire estate would have been inherited by his parents, had they been alive.
- As Liam Payne's death didn't involve a spouse or children, his estate—estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars—would have followed the UK's intestacy rules for an unmarried individual without children, if he hadn't left a will.
