Did Cheryl and Liam Payne actually split weeks ago?

Last night the news broke that Cheryl and Liam Payne have called it a day on their two-year relationship.

Taking to Twitter, both of them tweeted a near-identical message confirming that Bear, their young son, is their 'world' and that they still have 'so much love' for each other.

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) July 1, 2018

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) July 1, 2018

But now, people are speculating that the couple actually broke-up weeks ago and were both just waiting for the "right time" to break the news. According to The Sun, Liam has already moved out of the couple's €5 million mansion with a source close to the couple telling the publication that their relationship has been rocky for awhile and then continued to say:

"They’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways. He still cares for her and she cares for him. They still have an ongoing relationship together. They have a baby together."

Many people also speculated that things could well and truly be finnito when Liam didn't post anything on social media to mark Cheryl's birithday. The couple who aren't ever overly affectionate often take to Instagram to praise eachother and share rare family pictures however, nothing was posted for the star's 35th birthday. And since their last apperance together, which came after the first rumours that the pair were splitting up, it seems like many noticed something wasn't right when the pair tried to awkwardly pack on the PDA in wooden-like red carpet flirting. Could that awkward appearance in Feburary been the end of things? The pair have both empasised however that they will continue to co-parent their one child, Bear.