Give Liam Payne dignity in wake of his death, Cheryl Cole pleads

Cheryl Cole is battling to "navigate" her ex-boyfriend Liam Payne's "earth-shattering" death.

The former Girls Aloud singer, 41, was a judge on The X Factor on which Liam found fame as a teenager, and the pair — who had seven-year-old son Bear — went on to date from 2016 to 2018.

She shared her heartbreak over his shocking passing on Friday (Oct 18), two days after Liam, 31, fell to his death from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Alongside a black-and-white photo of Liam in bed with their son, who was a baby when the snap was taken, Cheryl said: "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.

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"Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, but he was also 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."

Referring to rumours around Liam's death and the publication of a picture of his dead body by website TMZ, Cheryl went on: "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 few days.

"It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in the 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.

Cheryl concluded her message, written in white lettering on a black background: "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."

Liam was said to have been keen for a "fresh start" with Cheryl before his death.

During a podcast interview in June 2022, Liam hailed his son Bear as a "lovely, lovely boy" and praised Cheryl's parenting skills, saying: "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better."

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