Girls Aloud star Cheryl has described Liam Payne’s death as “earth-shattering” and said their seven-year-old son Bear learning about what happened is “breaking my heart”.
Payne died on Wednesday after falling from the third floor balcony in his hotel in Buenos Aires.
Cheryl, who was in a high-profile relationship with Payne between 2016 and 2018, said in a statement on Instagram their son has to “face the reality of never seeing his father again”.
She 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.”
Sharing a black and white picture of Payne in bed with his son, the 41-year-old said: “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 read them.
“Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”
TMZ has taken down photographs of Payne’s body it shared after his death following a backlash from fans and celebrities.
The American celebrity news outlet sparked outrage for publishing cropped photos of the British singer’s body following his fatal fall.
Her statement comes as Payne’s father Geoff arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday to arrange for the return of his son's body to England.
He was photographed emerging in a blue suit from a downtown hotel accompanied by British consular officials and stepping into a black van.
Argentine authorities said Payne was headed to the local prosecutor's office, which is investigating the case as a matter of protocol, to organize the repatriation of his son's remains. Local media reported he later visited the morgue.
Shortly before Cheryl’s statement, Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy said “nothing about the past few days have felt real” after his death.
The social media influencer, who had been in a relationship with Payne for around two years, said she was at a “complete loss” after his death.
“Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way,” Cassidy said in a statement posted on her Instagram story.
“I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real.
“I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.
“Liam, my angel, you are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely.”
Cassidy said she will continue to love Payne “for the rest of my life”, adding: “I love you Liam.”
Also paying tribute was music mogul Simon Cowell who said he is “truly devastated” after the death of the singer, in a statement posted on Instagram.
Payne found fame alongside Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles when The X Factor creator Cowell put them together to form One Direction on the ITV talent show in 2010.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” he wrote.
“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty.
“And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
Cowell said the singer’s son Bear will be “so proud” of what he achieved during his 31 years.
“I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have,” Cowell wrote.
“He will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.”
The 65-year-old said he would tell the thousands of fans Payne was “kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused” and “how much love you genuinely had for the fans”.
Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Cowell telling him to return to the talent show two years later.
In 2010 he impressed the judges with a rendition of Michael Buble’s Cry Me A River before being put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition – the group which later became OneDirection.
Cowell continued: “I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t.
“You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans.
“I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.”
Cowell said Payne visited him last year “not for a meeting, just to sit and talk” and they “reminisced about all of the fun times we had together”.
“After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago,” he said.
Payne died of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”, as a result of his fall, a post-mortem examination report has said.
A press release from Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No 16 said it would be investigating the incident as an “inconclusive death” after the conclusions of the report.
Reports say staff at the hotel made two calls to emergency services, with audio revealing a staff member had asked for assistance for a guest who was “intoxicated by drugs and alcohol”.
The prosecutor’s office indicated the musician was alone when the fall occurred and said he appeared to be “going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse”.
Forensic experts said no injuries were observed that would suggest the intervention of third parties, although “the investigation is also aimed at determining the possible intervention of third parties in the events prior to his death”.
Police in the Argentine capital previously said the music star’s hotel room had been “in complete disarray” with “various items broken”.
