CHERYL has paid a heartbreaking tribute to ex-boyfriend and father of her child Liam Payne following his tragic death.
The former One Direction singer, 31, fell from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday afternoon.
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Cheryl, 41, shares son Bear, seven, with Liam and spoke of the grief she feels for her son following his dad’s death.
She was a judge on X Factor when Wolverhampton-born Liam found fame as a teenager – and the couple later began dating in 2016.
They welcomed Bear in 2017 and went their separate ways the following year.
Paying tribute to Liam on Friday evening, Cheryl shared a touching photograph of him with baby Bear next to a heartbreak emoji.
She added a statement on Instagram that 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.
It comes as…
“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.”
Cheryl went on: “Before you leave comments or make videos, ask
yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them.
“Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”
Liam vowed to leave a touching legacy behind for his son two years before his death.
The singer, who fondly described his seven-year-old son as a “mini-me”, made the vow on a podcast with YouTuber Logan Paul.
Speaking in 2022, Liam – reportedly worth some £46 million – opened up about co-parenting the tot with ex Cheryl.
The One Direction star said: “My life now is his, my money is his.
“I have actually got several companies that are up and running that I know he can run one day if he wants to or [he can sell them].”
Liam told Logan at the time that he was a “lovely boy” and described being a dad as “the coolest thing”.
He also fondly described Cheryl as “the best mum in the world” and thanked her for giving him “full autonomy” to pursue his career while taking care of Bear.
Before his death Liam wanted to carve out a “fresh start” with Cheryl, a source told OK! magazine in 2018.
They said: “We don’t see a lot of Bear on Liam’s social media but I think he wants to prove to Cheryl that he’s getting his life together.”
And describing his relationship with his son in 2022, Liam said: “I see him two times a week, three times a week sometimes.
“And I make sure when I see him, he has 100 percent of my time. I make sure that I’m not on my phone or d*****g around somewhere else.
“So, I like to give him those moments and it’s important, he needs that in his life.
“He needs his dad in his life, and I’m happy he looks at me like a superhero, and I’m hoping to keep it that way.””
He was reportedly “keen for a fresh start” with Cheryl prior to his death.
The dad’s relationship with his son was recently put under the spotlight and it is believed he wanted to “prove” he was getting his life together for his firstborn.
A source previously told how Little Things hitmaker Liam was building things back up for his son and said to OK! Magazine: “We don’t see a lot of Bear on Liam’s social media but I think he wants to prove to Cheryl that he’s getting his life together.”
The resurfaced comments about Liam’s dad duties come after his tragic death this week.
Champagne, prescription drugs, white powder and foil wraps were all found in Liam’s trashed hotel room after he fell from the balcony at around 5pm (9pm UK time).
Fellow hotel guests revealed the star had been acting in a “disturbing” manner shortly before his fall, with Liam admitting to one woman: “I used to be in a boy band – that’s why I’m so f**ked up.”
Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl’s romance
By Joanne Kavanagh, Showbiz Reporter
It was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was only 14 when he met former X Factor judge Cheryl during the show in 2008.
But it wasn’t until 2016 – when the Girls Aloud singer was divorcing her second husband – that the pair got together despite their ten-year age gap.
The couple made their relationship official in May of that year when they appeared at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala in Paris.
In 2017, Liam paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
Cheryl was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a boy on March 22, 2017.
She posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby and captioned: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”
One pal told The Sun: “Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.
“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”
The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
In February 2018, The Sun broke the news that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and the pair were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl said “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”
Liam and Cheryl released a statement confirming their break-up which read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
“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.”
Last year, Liam revealed he had spent 100 days in a wellness clinic.
He told of his rehab stint and said: “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually, because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognise any more.”
At the time, he praised his mum and son and said: “Honestly, more than anything I want to say thank you to Bear and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well.
“There is no point trying to be a dad when you have nothing to teach.
“I feel like I have a grip on life now.
“After I got back out, that process had worked for me, but there were still some little bits left that I kind of had to deal with myself.”
TRAGIC DEATH
A woman also staying at the CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo area of the Argentine capital where Liam died on Wednesday afternoon, said he displayed “disturbing” behaviour shortly before the tragedy.
She said Liam told her: “I used to be in a boy band – that’s why I’m so f**ked up.”
The 28-year-old said she has been left “shaken” by what happened, having seen Liam just moments before he died.
She told the Mail how “there was something a bit desperate” about Liam’s behaviour.
She encountered Liam in the foyer of the hotel on Wednesday afternoon and took photos of him at 4.26pm local time (8.26pm UK time).
She claims he became “upset” by an email on his screen and shouted “f**k this s**t mate” before smashing the laptop on the ground.
A 911 call from hotel staff later that afternoon revealed they needed “urgent assistance” from cops to help with a guest “behaving erratically”.
Liam was found dead in the hotel’s inner courtyard and his death was confirmed as soon as ambulance crews arrived.
Cops discovered “what appeared to be narcotics, alcohol, destroyed objects and furniture” in his room.
Forensic teams reported that a whiskey bottle, lighter and mobile phone were retrieved from the building’s internal courtyard where Liam’s body was found.
But cops are yet to confirm what the substances found in the room are and are due to run tests on them shortly.
The singer had been open about his battles with addiction in the past.
Officials have said “everything indicates” that he was alone when he died and could have been partly or fully unconscious when he fell.
A full toxicology report is still pending and could take weeks to become public.
One Direction statements in full
We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.
But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam. – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.
Louis Tomlinson wrote: “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.
“I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.
“I wish I got a chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.”
Zayn Malik said: “Liam I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.
“I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.
“When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid, you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.”
He added: “When it came to the music, Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense.
“I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional.
“I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly.
“I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever”.
And Harry Styles wrote: “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing.
“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.
“Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious.
“He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving.
“The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.
“My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”
Niall Horan wrote: “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
“All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness.
“We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.
“I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.
“My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear.”
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