'It's been a tough decision for us to make,' the One Direction member shares on Twitter.

• Jul 2, 2018

AceShowbiz - Pop star Liam Payne and his girlfriend Cheryl Cole have separated after months of dismissing split rumours.

The couple hasn't been seen together publicly for months, ever since the One Direction star and his partner put on a united front at the Brit Awards in February.

At the time, the British tabloids were full of reports suggesting the romance had fizzled now that Cheryl was a mum to the couple's young son Bear - and the couple was heading for a break-up.

Payne denied the story at the time but confessed his relationship with the Girls Aloud singer had been going through some ups and downs.

And the romance appeared to be back on track over the weekend, when a gig cancellation in Kansas allowed Liam to dash back to the U.K. to celebrate his girlfriend's 35th birthday.

However, now it seems any time they may have spent together was all business, ahead of an official split announcement, which was released by Liam via Twitter on Sunday, July 01.

"Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways," he wrote. "It's been a tough decision for us to make. 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."

Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. 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.

— Liam (@LiamPayne) 1 July 2018

Cheryl posted the same statement on her Twitter account.

We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. 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.

— Cheryl (@CherylOfficial) 1 July 2018

The couple began dating in 2016 and became parents to Bear in March, 2017.

In March of this year, reports suggested Payne was involved with one of his backup dancers, prompting Cole to blast the story on Twitter.

She wrote: "I usually don't bother myself to respond to stupid articles, but in my silence, they hold the pen. This is a stupid article, clutching at very small straws."

Cheryl didn't seem to let the impending break-up news ruin her birthday celebrations - she enjoyed a night out with her Girls Aloud bandmates on Friday.