Cheryl Cole, the ex-partner of Liam Payne and the mother of his son Bear, has broken her silence on the singer's death.
The former member of the British-Irish pop group Girls Aloud said she is trying to "navigate this earth-shattering event, and work through" her "grief" at what she called "this indescribably painful time."
At the same time, she reminded everyone that a human being was lost at the end of the day.
"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 seven-year-old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again," she penned in a post to Instagram.
The statement was accompanied by a black-and-white photo of Payne lying beside Bear when he was just a baby.
Cole continued her statement to slam the "abhorrent reports and media exploitation" she has seen since the singer died on Wednesday. She said it troubled her "spirit" to know that one day their son could access those reports and it breaks her heart that she won't be able to protect him from that in the 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," she wrote.
She continued her plea by asking everyone to "Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last."
The 31-year-old passed away on Oct. 16 after falling from a third-story balcony of a hotel in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Immediately after news of his death broke, TMZ had posted alleged photos of Payne's dead body. The site immediately faced backlash from fans and loved ones of the singer.
TMZ has since removed the photos.