Mother of Liam Payne’s Son Cheryl Cole Reacts to the One Direction Star’s Death: ‘Not Only a Pop Star’

Cheryl Cole broke her silence following the death of ex-boyfriend Liam Payne, with whom she shared son Bear.

“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,” Cheryl, 41, shared via Instagram on Friday, October 18, alongside a photo of Liam and their son. “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.”

She continued, “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.”

She concluded her message by writing, “Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”

Liam died after he “jumped from the balcony of his room” at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. He was 31 years old. Shortly before he died, the manager of the hotel called the police to report and described Liam as an “aggressive man possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

“When he is conscious he breaks, he is breaking the whole room. Well, we need you to send someone, please,” the manager said in the audio shared by Telemundo. Later in the call, the employee explained, “The guest is in a room that has a balcony and, well, we are a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening.”

Liam and Cheryl, 41, first met when he auditioned for X Factor in 2008. She was a judge alongside Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh, and remained on the panel when Liam returned two years later.

Nothing romantically developed between the pair until she filed for divorce from her second husband, Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, in February 2016. Three months later, the Girls Aloud artist and Liam went public with their romance and welcomed their son, Bear, in March 2017. The following July, Liam announced that he and Cheryl split after two years of dating.

“Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make,” he wrote via X at the time. “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.”

The pair continued to coparent their son until his untimely death.

Liam’s family and friends broke their silence shortly after news broke of his tragic death, and his family shared how “utterly devastated” they were by the news.

“We are heartbroken,” the One Direction alum’s family told Daily Mail in a Thursday, October 17, statement. “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

The U.K. native’s former 1D bandmate Louis Tomlinson shared a heartfelt message via Instagram later that day alongside a photo with Liam on stage.

“Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band,” Louis, 32, wrote. “And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”

Harry Styles’ mother, Anne Twist, also broke her silence via Instagram by sharing a post of a heartbreak emoji over a black background.

“Just a boy…” she captioned the post.