Liam Payne, girlfriend Cheryl Cole split after two years together

July 2 (UPI) -- Liam Payne and the Cheryl Cole, who share 15-month-old son Bear together, have decided to call it quits after more than two years 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," Payne said on Twitter Sunday to announce the breakup.

Cole also commented on the split on Twitter, stating, "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."

Payne, a former member of One Direction and Cole, a singer and former member of Girls Aloud, famously met on the U.K. version of The X Factor. Cole, 35, was a judge of the show while Payne. 24, was paired up with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson as One Direction after they failed to advance as individuals.

In March, Payne commented on the struggles he and Cole faced as a couple and how they dealt with rumors about their relationship.

"The funniest thing was a week before we were getting married. The next week we're splitting up," Payne said about the rumors. "And the thing for me is, I just like to think we're somewhere in the middle, You know, we have our struggles -- like of course I'm not gonna sit here and say that everything's absolutely fine and dandy, because of course you go through different things, and that's what a relationship is."