Liam Payne's Ex Cheryl Cole Breaks Silence Following His Tragic Death
Cheryl Cole shared an emotional message in response to the tragic death of her ex-boyfriend, One Direction's Liam Payne.
As Parade previously reported, Payne tragically died after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, according to state police. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is ongoing.
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Following the news that the 31-year-old singer had suddenly died, the comments on Cole's most recent social media posts immediately became overrun with questions and concerns from fans. But it wasn't until two days later on Friday, Oct. 18, that she issued a public statement mourning the profound loss.
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 7 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," Cole continued, adding, "It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future."
Payne's fans were the first to speak out about the exploitative and "beyond vile" reports regarding his death, slamming one media outlet in particular for uploading images of Payne's body shortly after the news broke.
"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."
Concluding her post, Cole implored her followers, "Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last."
Cole, 41, and Payne reportedly first met when the "Night Changes" singer first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, but their relationship didn't become romantic for another eight years, with reports that they were a couple popping up in February 2016.
In March 2017, they welcomed their first and only child together, a son who they named Bear Grey Payne. A little over a year later, the two called it quits in June 2018.
“Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways,” Liam wrote in a Twitter post at the time. “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.”