Cheryl Cole has spoken of the 'earth shattering' loss of Liam Payne. But she also has a message for us.

Cheryl Cole has spoken about the loss of her ex-boyfriend, Liam Payne, who is the father of her seven-year-old son Bear, for the first time.

The former Girls Aloud member posted to Instagram two days after it was announced that Payne, 31, had died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Along with a photo of Payne cuddling with Bear in bed, the 41-year-old wrote:

"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. 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."

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She went on to address media coverage of the One Direction star's death, writing:

"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," she said.

Liam and Cheryl first met in 2008, when the then 14-year-old first auditioned for the British version of the X Factor.

During his audition, the former Girls Aloud member said: "I like you, I think you're really cute. I think you've got charisma and you give us that little cheeky wink."

While Payne didn't progress in the competition that time, he returned in 2010 to more praise from Cheryl.

"You've definitely got it," she told him. "Whatever it is, you've got it. And I thought your voice was really, really powerful."

Liam made it through to bootcamp, where the 16-year-old was formed into a group with four other hopeful singers — Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson — creating what would become global sensation, One Direction.

It wasn't until five years later that Liam, then 22, and Cheryl, then 32, sparked romance whispers. Fans caught the pair flirting during One Direction's performance together at an X Factor final.

Months after, the pair began dating, with Simon Cowell describing them as "madly in love".

In March 2017, Liam and Cheryl welcomed a baby boy together, whom they named Bear.

"I'm incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far," Liam, then 23, wrote on Instagram at the time.

"I'm completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she's really made my dreams come true."

After one year as parents, the couple announced their split to X (formerly Twitter) with a joint statement.

"We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways," they wrote in July 2018. "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."

Years later, while speaking on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast, Liam said that having a baby changed the dynamic of his and Cheryl's relationship.

"To be honest with you, it ruined a relationship at that point — but for all the right reasons," he said.

The singer also gushed about Cheryl, calling her the "best mum in the world".

"I couldn't ask for someone better," he said of their strong bond as co-parents.

Cheryl's statement follows tributes from around the world, most notably from his former One Direction band mates.

Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik released a joint statement to their fans around the world."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."

Styles, Tomlinson, and Malik have all since released individual statements.

A preliminary autopsy report, shared in a Spanish-language press release from the country's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office, reveals that Payne died from internal and external traumas sustained after falling from the third floor of the CasaSur Hotel.

The report added that the former One Direction star appeared to be alone and under the influence of substances when he fell at 5:07pm.

Read more about Liam Payne:

Fame is broken.

Cheryl Cole met Liam Payne before he was famous. Years later, their paths crossed again.

As the world mourns Liam Payne, his ex is living a different reality.

Image: Getty/Instagram.