Cheryl has shared a heartfelt tribute to her former partner Liam Payne after he passed away aged 31 in Argentina.
Police in Buenos Aires, Argentina confirmed the former One Direction singer had died after falling from a balcony at his hotel in the Argentinian capital on 16 October.
A preliminary post-mortem would later reveal that Payne had died from ‘internal and external haemorrhaging’ from injuries sustained from the fall.
His ex-girlfriend Cheryl has since shared a tribute to the singer, whom she shares a seven-year-old son with.
The pair were introduced on the X Factor (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The ‘Fight for this Love’ singer took to Instagram to share her tribute, which featured a photograph of Payne with their son Bear as an infant, alongside a plea to fans to refrain from sharing any speculation about the singer’s death.
“As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” she began.
“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. 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 rad 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.”
The pair were first introduced on ITV singing series X Factor, where he first auditioned as a teenager before being added to boyband One Direction, going on to enter into a romantic relationship in February 2016.
Payne had travelled to Argentina to watch his former bandmate Niall Horan (Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage)
In 2017, the couple welcomed their only child together, a son named Bear Grey Payne.
Payne remained an active presence in Bear’s life after he and Cheryl separated, with the singer referring to Bear as his ‘mini me’ in his final public comments about his son.
Cheryl’s statement follows tributes from Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Horan, as well as a post from X Factor boss and former 1D manager Simon Cowell, as well as his current partner Kate Cassidy.
Payne’s family have also issued a statement in the wake of his death, which reads: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.