When the Control Isn't Enough to Cover the Damage - Exhibit B with Liam Payne

And then....there's the case of this Cheryl Cold, I mean Cheryl Cole-Versini individual.  She's supposed to be Liam's girlfriend and expecting his love child.  I'm sure there have been enough holes already in the piece of swiss cheese story before this author ever began paying attention.  Anyway.

Liam went to Vegas this past weekend.

Vegas babyyyyyyy!!!!!!!

— Liam (@LiamPayne) October 23, 2016

Good times ensued.

🎉 @LiamPayne pic.twitter.com/v2l4mpWLgN

— Zedd (@Zedd) October 23, 2016

 

Positive pictures, positive social media feedback from his fans.

Then Liam posted this picture from his Instagram overnight:

And how was it interpreted?

"Missing Cheryl?  Liam Payne Shares Sweet Loved-Up Message As He's Separated From 'Pregnant' Girlfriend While Partying in Las Vegas" - The Daily Mail

The crowned girl emoji accompanying his Instagram photo is I reckon our sign that there are still some dangling strings tying the OneD boys to Modest Mgmnt.  One would have to read the Daily Fail's interpretation however to be fed word-for-word what Liam was conveying to the public:

The One Direction star is no doubt missing Cheryl, 33, after he headed to Los Angeles last week to continue work on his solo music.

This narrative is followed up with an even more Flatman-ish story about Liam buying Cheryl an engagement ring, courtesy of the Sun.  In their article alone, we see: 

Now magazine claims

it has been reported

a source close to the couple

Now magazine also claim

after sources told the Sunday People

had previously told pals

is now rumored to be

unseemly source

The Mirror isn't any more believable:

doesn't appear to have been

It looks like

plans for her next wedding are apparently underway

it's claimed that

It's believed that the couple

look set to marry

A source told Now magazine

the source claims

said the insider

it's thought that Liam

the source went on to add

unseemly source number two 

Boy, with tough as nails, fact-based writing like that in an online publication, who needs Mental Floss?  

It's rather reminiscent of when Liam's announcement came about signing with Capitol Records, isn't it?  That celebratory news had barely breathed oxygen in the media when the headlines were loudly joined with "How Cheryl Hernandez Versini Gave Him the Confidence for a Solo Career" and "One Direction Fans are Reading the Writing on the Wall" and "Liam Payne just signed a solo record deal with Capitol Records and the internet is NOT ok".

Intriguing, isn't it?  Looks like a smothering-of-good-news job to me.

LOLLL.  It's really not funny, but the message is conveyed.  Is there a developing pattern going on with the OneD boys and their progressing, positive professional developments?  Looks like they have dark shadows following each one and not of their doing.

For Liam's Vegas happy pictorial to be immediately followed with forced tie-ins to Cheryl Cole Fernandez Guess How Many Names I Have Versini, again the power struggle seems evident, but losing steam.  These guys are breaking free and while Modest is struggling to hang on until the very end, that leash is looking noticeably frayed.

sources: unrealitytv, Twitter, Daily Fail, the Sun, Instagram, chewproofdogleash.com
song:  Beneath the Damage and the Dust -  Peter Himmelman