Liam Payne's ex asks for 'dignity' in fear that she can't 'protect' their son Bear after singer's death

Singer Cheryl, who is the mother of her son Bear with Liam Payne, shared a teary-eyed tribute to the late One Direction singer on Friday, two days after his passing.

Liam was just 31-years-old when he died on October 16 after falling off of a balcony of his hotel room in Argentina.

The Fight for this Love crooner, who dated Liam from 2016 until 2018, took to Instagram to express her sadness over her ex's death. She expressed her desire for people to show "dignity" towards Liam and how she's afraid of not being able to protect 7-year-old Bear.

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She began: “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 harsh reality of never seeing his father again," she added.

Cheryl then inquired people to be kind when they share details about Liam for the sake of Bear. “Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them,” she asked. “Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”

Bear was born in 2017 when Liam was just 23-years-old. He and Cheryl met when he auditioned for The X Factor competition series in 2008.

In a podcast interview in June 2022, Liam spoke about his son, describing him as "a lovely, lovely boy" and praised the former Girls Aloud member: "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better."

However, he also confessed that Bear's birth "ruined" his relationship with Cheryl "for all the right reasons."

In a 2017 interview with Total Access, Liam revealed why they choose the name "Bear."

"It was like an internal battle. I wanted a more traditional name and she wanted a name that was more unusual. And the reason she chose Bear in the end was because Bear is a name that when you leave a room, you won't forget. And I like that. When I look at him, he's just Bear," Liam said. "At first, I wasn't really having it. I was like, 'I'm not really sure. I don't really understand'. Now, I look at him and he's Bear."