Cheryl Cole, the ex-girlfriend of Liam Payne, has made a heartfelt request regarding the protection of their 7-year-old son. She expressed her concerns about "media exploitation" and the challenges she faces in safeguarding her child from the public eye.

Washington [US], October 19: Cheryl Cole, the ex-girlfriend of Liam Payne and mother of his 7-year-old son Bear, has spoken out following the tragic death of the former One Direction member. Liam Payne passed away on October 16 at the age of 31 after a tragic incident in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cole and Payne began dating in 2016 and welcomed their son Bear in 2017. They separated a year later but continued to co-parent.

On Friday, Cheryl shared a heartfelt photo of Bear with Liam along with a statement on her Instagram. In her statement, she expressed her grief over the "earth-shattering event" and reminded everyone of the human loss involved. She stated, "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 who now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again."

Cheryl also voiced her concerns about media exploitation, saying, "What troubles me the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we've seen in the past two days. It breaks my heart that I cannot protect him from that in the future. I urge you to consider the impact of these reports and to think about whether you would want your own child or family to read them."

She concluded her message by asking for respect, stating, "Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last."

Regarding the autopsy, it was confirmed that Payne died from trauma and internal and external bleeding, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The report from Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office stated that Payne died at 5:07 PM on Wednesday after falling from the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires. 

Forensic doctors conducted the autopsy that night, determining that the cause of death was polytrauma, with internal and external hemorrhage. The circumstances surrounding Payne's fall are being investigated as a "doubtful death," though it appears he was alone at the time.

The prosecutor's office noted that Payne "was going through some kind of outbreak due to substance abuse" during the incident. Evidence found in his room included what appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic beverages, along with several destroyed objects and furniture. Experts are still confirming whether the substances were indeed drugs.

Five witnesses were interviewed, including three hotel staff members and two women who had been with Payne prior to the fall.

Liam Payne gained fame as a member of One Direction, which formed on "The X Factor" in 2010. The group, which consisted of five solo auditionees brought together by the show, finished in third place and later signed with Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment. One Direction became one of the best-selling boy bands in history, selling 70 million records worldwide before announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

After the hiatus, Payne signed a solo record deal with Capitol Records U.K. and began releasing music in 2017, starting with the single "Strip That Down" featuring Migos rapper Quavo. His debut solo album, "LP1," was released in December 2019, and he released a new single, "Teardrops," in March, with a second album on the way.