Cheryl Tweedy has expressed her sorrow over the loss of her former partner, Liam Payne, who tragically passed away at the age of 31.
The ex-One Direction member died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The authorities responded to the scene around 5:00 p.m., where the hotel manager reported a man had fallen from a balcony on the third floor.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, stated that a medical team arrived and confirmed the man’s death, noting he had sustained “injuries that were incompatible with life as a result of his fall” and later discovered he was a singer in a music group.
Payne gained fame on the British talent show The X Factor, originally appearing in 2008 before judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, and Cheryl Tweedy, then known as Cheryl Cole.
He reached the judges’ houses stage before being eliminated. Payne returned in 2010 and became part of a boy band with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan.
After One Direction left the show, Payne and Tweedy, who is well-known as a member of Girls Aloud, reportedly began dating in 2016, and they welcomed their son, Bear, the following year.
Cheryl has since spoken about the passing of Bear’s father.
She posted on Instagram, sharing a picture of Liam and Bear, accompanied by a broken heart emoji.
She wrote: “As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.
“Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.
“What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past two days. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future.
“I am begging you to consider what use some of these reports are serving, other than to cause further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces.
“Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them.
“Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.
“Thank you, Cheryl.”
Following the news of Payne’s death, fans gathered outside the hotel to pay their respects, lighting candles and singing songs in tribute.
Others turned to Payne’s social media for solace, some recalling a post he shared on Snapchat in August, expressing affection for his son.
During his birthday celebration, Payne humorously noted he hadn’t received any “dad socks” from Bear yet.
He added: “I’m going to speak to my son in a little bit which I’m really excited about. Bless him. He’s getting so big now.
“He’s a big boy and he looks like a mini-me. As if we needed any more me in the world.”
If you are experiencing bereavement and wish to talk to someone confidentially, contact The Compassionate Friends at (877) 969-0010.