Cheryl Cole, the mother of Liam Payne's son, Bear, welcomed their son in March 2017 at 34. Now 41, she took to Instagram to pen a statement in the wake of Payne's passing.

One Direction performed at the X Factor final in December of 2015 which is reportedly where Cole and Payne met each other once again. At the time, Cheryl was married to her second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini. 2016 - Cheryl splits from second husband amid Liam Payne rumours and couple confirm relationship

Cheryl Cole, who shared a son with Liam Payne, has issued a statement on the death of the superstar. In a paragraph posted to Instagram, Cole pleaded with the media to stop with “abhorrent reports” and “media exploitation” of his death for the sake of their son Bear.