Cheryl Requests Late Ex Liam Payne Be Given the 'Little Dignity He Has Left' amid His 'Indescribably Painful' Death

Cheryl has spoken out following the death of her ex Liam Payne.

The former One Direction member died aged 31 on Wednesday, October 16, after falling several floors at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the 41-year-old Girls Aloud singer took to Instagram two days later with an emotional note.

Cheryl, who dated Payne from 2015 to 2018 and has a 7-year-old son with him, Bear Grey, began her statement: “As I try to get over this devastating event and deal with my own grief at this incredibly painful time, I would like all to remind that we have lost a human being.”

Cheryl and Liam Payne in May 2016.

Kristy Sparow/Getty

The “Fight for This Love” singer continued: “Liam wasn’t just a pop star and a celebrity, he was a son, brother, uncle, dear friend and father to our 7-year-old son. The son he now has to face the reality that more he will never see his father.”

Cheryl then spoke about Bear, noting that she is heartbroken knowing she “can’t protect him” from seeing the various details of his father’s death: “Before you post a comment or make a video, ask yourself if you want your child or family to see them are reading.”

“Please give Liam what little dignity he has left after his death so he can finally rest in peace,” the statement concluded.

One Direction’s Liam Payne has died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina

Cheryl and Liam Payne in February 2018 in London.

Dave Bennett/Getty

The couple first met in 2008 when Payne auditioned for The X factorand Cheryl was the judge. However, the two became a couple seven years later, and first went public with their romance in 2015. Two years later, they had a son, Bear Grey. In July 2018, a little more than a year after the birth of their son, they decided to separate.

The couple worked together as co-parents to raise their son.

Payne previously told PEOPLE in 2018 that he “always wanted to be a young dad,” but fatherhood at a young age wasn’t easy. During a later interview in December 2020, he went on to talk about how he had to “learn” to be a parent over time.

“I had a son when I was young and you think it’s going to be a magical thing, that one day you’re going to grow into the person you’re supposed to be,” he told PEOPLE in 2020. “But it took me a long time to find my footing, dad takes care of everything, that’s what he does, so my thing was to cook.”

Tribute to celebrities who died in 2024

Liam Payne in Dubai in January 2023.

Samir Hussein/Getty

Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In 2022, Payne revealed that he sees Bear “twice a week, sometimes three times a week.” He added: “And I make sure that when I see him he has 100 percent of my time. I make sure I’m not on the phone or strutting around somewhere else.” “So I like to give him those moments and that’s important, he needs that in his life, he needs a dad in his life, and I’m happy that he sees me as a superhero, and I hope he stays that way,” he added.

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Source: HIS Education