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

Mar. 15, 2025

Cheryl and Liam Payne.

Cherylis speaking out after her exLiam Payne’s death.

The formerOne Directionmemberdied at age 31 on Wednesday, Oct. 16, after falling multiple stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the 41-year-old Girls Aloud singer took toInstagramtwo days later with an emotional note.

Cheryl, whodated Payne from 2015 to 2018and shares a 7-year-old sonBear Grey, with him, began her statement, “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.”

Cheryl and Liam Payne in May 2016.Kristy Sparow/Getty

Kristy Sparow/Getty

The “Fight for This Love” performer continued, “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.”

“Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death ro rest in some peace at last,” concluded the statement.

Cheryl and Liam Payne in February 2018 in London.Dave Benett/Getty

Dave Benett/Getty

The pair first met in 2008 when Payne auditioned forThe X Factor, and Cheryl was a judge. However, the two became a couple seven years later and firstwent public with their romance in 2015. Two years later, theywelcomed their son Bear Grey. In July 2018, just over a year after their son’s birth, theydecided to split.

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

Payne had previously told PEOPLE in 2018 that he “always wantedto be a young dad,” but fatherhood at a young age didn’t come easy. During a later interview in December 2020, he opened up further about how he had “to learn” to be a parent over time.

“I had my son at a young age, and you think it will be a magical thing, that you’re going to grow up one day into the person you’re supposed to be,” he told PEOPLE in 2020. “Butit took a lot to find my footing. I figured, Dad takes care of everyone, that’s what he does, so my thing was to cook.”

Liam Payne in Dubai in January 2023.Samir Hussein/Getty

Samir Hussein/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.In 2022, Payne revealed he sees Bear “two times a week, three times a week sometimes.” Adding, “And I make sure when I see him, he has100 percent of my time. I make sure that I’m not on my phone or dicking 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 added.

source: people.com