Liam Payne is shutting down any speculation about his role as a father.
On Nov. 6, the former One Direction star took to Instagram to respond to an article, published by The Daily Mail, referencing his relationship with 3-year-old son Bear. The article's headline stated that Liam, who shares Bear with ex Cheryl Cole, was taking "time away" from the toddler. The article then references quotes Liam made to Tings, in which he discusses how the coronavirus pandemic lockdown led him to be away from his son for the longest stretch of time since Bear's birth.
"Me and Cheryl decided I should be away for a little bit, it's not unusual for me to be in and out of his life," Liam explained to Ting. "He's a quiet and chill child. He doesn't worry about things too much."
On Instagram, the "Strip That Down" singer hit back at what be believed to be a misleading headline from the publication.
"Usually I let these things slide but this is completely out of context," he wrote. "I couldn't see my son because of the worldwide pandemic that is happening not because I had anything wrong with me like this headline hints at."
Liam then accused the outlet of using the headline as "click bait."
"This interview was done during the first nationwide lockdown at the height of the coronavirus pandemic and I was discussing not being able to see my child which is a difficult time for any parent," he continued in his post. "I wish sometimes these people would do the research and give context instead of painting people a certain way for click bait."
Liam, who occasionally posts photos of his son on social media, discussed fatherhood with Esquire Middle East in 2017, shortly after Bear's birth.
"People make it out like a lightbulb comes on and suddenly you're a dad and it's like… no. [Being a father] is something you have to learn and I'm not afraid to say it takes more than a f--king minute to get your head around the idea of what it is," he shared with the publication. "The not understanding is the most difficult bit...especially when you have a toddler who doesn't understand how to communicate and you can't understand what they want."
While being a parent clearly comes with challenges, especially now, Liam is clearly all in on being Bear's dad...even if, sometimes, it has to be from afar.