Liam’s Former Partners, Well-Wishers Speak Out About Media Coverage After Death: “Abhorrent”, “Disgusting”

Last week One Direction bandmate Liam Payne fell to his death from a hotel in Buenos Aires, shocking millions of fans around the world.

In the wake of the incident, many publications suggested that the 31-year-old had been behaving erratically in the days before, while others speculated on the state of his mental health, how he handled his past relationships, and his alleged substance habits.

But now, the mother of Payne’s 7-year-old child, Bear, has put her foot down. The One Direction star’s former girlfriend, Cheryl Tweedy, who now goes only by Cheryl, put out a strong statement on Instagram, in which she chastised the irresponsible coverage.

“I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being,” she said, in response to online conspiracy theorists. “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.”

Without referring to any specific publications, the “Girls Aloud” star, who was in a relationship with Payne between 2016 and 2018, said the endless reports could have a negative impact on their son as well.

“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.”

Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy similarly requested that she be spared from the slew of reports. “I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private,” she wrote on Instagram on Friday.

Media outlets, in their bid to uncover what really happened to Liam Payne, have been on an endless speculation spree over the last week.

Many published a 911 call made by hotel staff, reporting that Payne was “trashing the room”. Others included images purportedly from inside the room to show the damage he caused before the incident. Tabloids also reported on his legal battles and “toxic” relationship with ex-fiancee Maya Henry, attempting to explain his death.

TMZ’s reportage in particular caught the ire of fans and loved ones, after they published images supposedly of Liam Payne’s body after his fall. The website later removed the image, without explanation or clarification, but the outrage didn’t disappear. 

Singer Chris Cornell’s daughter specifically targeted TMZ for its coverage.

“In the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic passing, I feel compelled to speak out about the disgusting, distressing photos released by TMZ,” Toni Cornell said in a statement.

After Toni’s father died by suicide in 2017, she recalls stumbling upon distressing pictures of the former Audioslave frontman on TMZ when she was 12.

“TMZ still has not chosen to have the decency, seven years later, to remove those photos from the internet,” she wrote on her Instagram story.