Liam Payne’s ex-GF Sophia Smith gets engaged to James Bridgwood just 2 months after singer's tragic death

LONDON, ENGLAND: Sophia Smith, former girlfriend of Liam Payne, has announced her engagement to boyfriend James Bridgwood, just two months after the tragic death of the singer.

Smith, who shares a daughter with Bridgwood, revealed the exciting news through a heartfelt Instagram post, showcasing a sweet black-and-white video of the proposal.

Sophia Smith shares heartfelt engagement moment with James Bridgwood

The black and white video, which captured the intimate moment between Sophia Smith and James Bridgwood, showed the couple sitting on the floor surrounded by rose petals, with Smith beaming as her fiance placed a ring on her finger.

Their one-year-old daughter, Angelina, was also seen wandering around the room before joining the couple for a group hug.

Smith, 30, captioned the video, “Yes a million times over ❤️💍 25.12.24,” marking the special day she said "yes."

Smith and Bridgwood made their relationship Instagram-official in June 2022. She announced her pregnancy with their first child in December of that year.

Prior to dating Bridgwood, Smith had a long-term relationship with Payne which began in their childhood years in Wolverhampton, England.

The couple dated from 2013 to 2015 before parting ways, with Payne later opening up on how they had discussed marriage but decided to focus on their careers.

Liam Payne tragically died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Payne was dating Kate Cassidy at the time of his death.

Sophia Smith's engagement post receives heartfelt support from followers

Sophia Smith's post was met with an outpouring of support on Instagram from her followers and friends, including those from Liam Payne's inner circle.

Lou Teasdale, former hair and makeup artist for One Direction, commented with a heartfelt remark, “Aw Soph ❤️.”

Louis Tomlinson’s sister, Lottie Tomlinson, added, “😭😭😭💕💕✨ Congratulations.”

A third commentator remarked, "The best little family ❤️❤️❤️ love you."

"A perfect match ❤️ you all xxxx," a fan wrote.

Another added, "Favourites forever can’t stop watching this video ❤️."

A person expressed, "Awwwwwhh gorgeous🥹 Congratulations Sophia!!!!! ✨🌟✨."

Another chimed in, "Yayyyyy! So happy for you both! Congratulations 🥂 xxxx."

Liam Payne once reflected on his relationship with Sophia Smith

Liam Payne had once opened up on his past relationship with Sophia Smith, revealing details from their time together before they became a couple. In a September 2015 interview with Attitude, Payne shared that while they knew each other in their youth, their connection wasn’t immediate.

“I didn’t actually go out with her at the time [when we were younger],” Payne revealed. “I used to see her at school and we’d kind of chat. I asked her sister for her number. 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," he said at the time.

Despite their initial hesitations, Payne and Smith eventually began dating, even discussing the possibility of marriage at one point. However, their relationship eventually ended in October 2015 as both chose to focus on their careers.

“Being on the tour all this year and being away from her was so hard,” Payne told The Sun, adding “We spent so much time apart. 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.”

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