Cheryl Cole Cries Over 'Indescribably Painful Time' In Emotional Tribute to Ex Liam Payne — After Her Heartbreaking Vow to Singer Before His Death
Oct. 17 2024, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Cheryl Cole has broken her silence on her ex-boyfriend Liam Payne's death.
Cole described her pain over the loss, RadarOnline.com can reveal. The star, who shares son Bear with Payne, also previously vowed to always stand by the singer when he was hospitalized for a kidney infection last year.
She wrote on Instagram: "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."
Cole added: "Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a ear friend and a father to our seven year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again..."
The former One Direction member died aged 31 on Wednesday, October 16, after reportedly jumping from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In August 2023, Payne was gearing up to take on a major tour across South America when he was hospitalized for a kidney infection. As a result, he was subsequently forced to cancel his tour dates.
His girlfriend, Kate Cassidy – who had been with the singer at the hospital – soon shared a positive update with fans on TikTok.
She said: "So I’ve gotten a lot of comments about Liam, asking how he’s doing, and I just want to let everybody know that he’s doing so much better.
"He is out of the hospital and he is in good hands."
Despite Cassidy's update, the singer's serious medical issues left fans and family concerned for his health. At the time, sources said ex-girlfriend Cheryl, 41, was deeply distraught over his condition.
The insider told OK! Magazine: "Cheryl is a strong person, she's very kind and she just wants Liam to be happy and healthy.
"She's always tried to support him because he's Bear’s father and she's always tried to be there for him. It's very hard for Cheryl – she feels upset about it.
"She is worried and concerned for Liam because he's Bear's dad and she wants him to be the best dad he can be."
Cheryl and Payne split in 2018 after dating for two years. The Magic singer announced their breakup on Twitter.
He wrote: "Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways.
"It's been a tough decision for us to make."
Payne noted the former couple had their son's best interest in mind.
His announcement continued: "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."
True to their word, Cheryl and Payne remained on good terms and co-parented together.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Payne was reportedly acting "erratic" shortly before he fell to his death on Wednesday.
According to a leaked WhatsApp memo, which was originally recorded in Spanish, an alleged hotel housekeeper claimed Payne fainted in the hotel lobby and had to be brought up to his room.
The message claimed the singer then began "acting kinda crazy" and "jumped".
The housekeeper, who was referred to as Catia, further claimed when she was cleaning his room the same day, Payne was allegedly "doing drugs in front of her" and "apologizing for the mess".
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