Liam Payne’s ex-girlfriend announces engagement after singer’s death as One Direction bandmate’s sister shows support
Liam Payne’s ex-girlfriend Sophia Smith has announced her engagement to boyfriend James Bridgwood following a romantic Christmas Day proposal.
The 30-year-old influencer shared a black and white video on Instagram showing the intimate moment Bridgwood popped the question.
The couple were captured in their pyjamas, sitting on the floor of their home surrounded by rose petals and champagne.
Their one-year-old daughter Angelina Grace, who was born in April 2023, could be seen wandering around the room during the proposal before joining her parents for a celebratory embrace.
“Yes a million times over 25.12.24,” Smith captioned the heartwarming clip.
Fans rushed to congratulate the pair on the news – including some very familiar and famous faces.
Lottie Tomlinson, the sister of One Direction star and Payne’s former bandmate Louis Tomlinson shared a series of love heart and crying emojis alongside the messages: “Congratulations.”
ITV I’m A Celebrity star Maura Higgins was also among the well-wishers who penned a similar message.
Smith and Payne’s history dates back to their schooldays at St Peter’s Collegiate School in Wolverhampton, where Payne reportedly asked her out more than 20 times before she agreed to date him.
“I didn’t actually go out with her at the time. I used to see her at school and we’d kind of chat. I asked her sister for her number,” Payne told Attitude magazine in 2015.
The pair finally began dating in 2013, three years after Payne found fame with One Direction.
“She was very shy and didn’t give much indication that she liked me, so I just assumed that she wasn’t interested, as well as thinking she was way too hot for me anyway,” Payne had revealed.
Their relationship lasted until October 2015.
When their relationship ended, Payne expressed his devastation to The Sun on Sunday.
“I’m absolutely devastated to have split with Sophia, but in order to do right by somebody, sometimes it’s better not to do what your heart wants, but to do what’s better for them,” he said.
The split came as a surprise, as the couple had previously discussed marriage.
Speaking to Attitude magazine, Payne had explained: “We have talked about marriage, but 22 seems a bit young for us. Sophia needs to go off and do what she wants to do.”
“I don’t want her to be one of those stay-at-home girlfriends who doesn’t really do much,” he added.
Being apart during tours had strained their relationship, with Payne later revealing they had spent “too much time apart.”
Following their split, Payne went on to date Cheryl Cole, with whom he had a son, Bear, in 2017.
He later had relationships with Maya Henry and was dating American model Kate Cassidy at the time of his death.
The former One Direction singer tragically died aged 31 in October 2024 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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An autopsy revealed he died instantly from multiple traumatic injuries, which caused internal and external haemorrhage.
Before his death, Payne and Cassidy had reportedly been planning to marry within a year, according to a note he had left her.
Smith first made her relationship with Bridgwood Instagram official in June 2022, before announcing her pregnancy that December.
She has remained close to Payne’s bandmates, relatives and colleagues since their split, having attended One Direction’s final concert tour.