EXCLUSIVE: Cheryl Takes Seven-Figure Deal to Promote Beauty Brand to 'Bury Her Pain Over Ex Liam Payne's Drug-Crazed Death’

Cheryl Tweedy has signed a lucrative seven-figure deal with skincare giant Nivea – and insiders tell RadarOnline.com the move is as much about keeping herself busy as it is about the cash, as she wants to distract herself from her ongoing grief over the drug-crazed death of her ex Liam Payne.

The 42-year-old singer has largely withdrawn from public life since Payne, 31, died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires while under the influence of crack cocaine and methamphetamine.

Tweedy and Payne, who met through The X Factor, shared an 8-year-old son, Bear.

Monday, August 18, marked Tweedy's return to public life after the tragedy as she appeared in a glossy new advert for Nivea, unveiled in an Instagram video under the title A New Era.

A source claimed: "Cheryl has been struggling enormously since Liam's death. Taking on this campaign isn't just about money – it's about distraction.

"She needed something to get her out of the house and focused on something other than grief. Work is the only place she feels like herself again."

Another insider confided in RadarOnline.com: "The advert has given her purpose at a time when she could have been swallowed by sadness. It was important to her that Bear was there with her on set during the shoot for the promo, too – she didn't want to be separated from him.

"But it is equally important that she had something professional to pour her energy into. She's using work as a shield from grief, sadness, and loneliness – and you can't really blame her."

The Nivea shoot, held in west London last month, was kept under wraps until Nivea's surprise announcement, with insiders telling us the tie-in is worth seven figures for Tweedy.

Its campaign opens with Tweedy stepping out of a black car in stiletto heels and a leather trench coat, before entering a studio.

She is shown holding a newspaper printed with the lyrics of her 2009 hit Fight For This Love alongside the date "August 2025." The caption reads: "This is right up our street," referencing her famous X Factor catchphrase.

While Bear does not appear in the film, his presence on set was non-negotiable, sources say.

"She is fiercely protective of him and would never put him in the spotlight," an insider claimed.

"But having him nearby gave her the strength to get through the day. Everyone there said it was clear how much she leans on him."

Tweedy's return to public life comes nearly a year after the death of Payne, who first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, aged 14, where he caught the attention of the then 25-year-old judge.

He later returned to the show at 16 and was placed in One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan.

Tweedy and Payne's relationship began in 2016, and their son was born the following year. They separated before Bear's first birthday, but Payne remained actively involved in his life, often entertaining him with toys and games during visits.