Liam Payne’s ex Danielle Peazer has shared an open letter to the late singer, calling on fans to remember that he was also ‘someone’s son, ‘a brother’, ‘an uncle’ and, most importantly, ‘a father’.
Payne tragically died after falling from a balcony at the hotel CasaSur in Buenos Aires, Argentina, having been in the country to attend a show of former bandmate Niall Horan earlier this month.
In the wake of his death, tributes have come pouring in, with One Direction saying in a joint statement that they felt ‘completely devastated’ by the news, and ex Cheryl Cole – with whom he shares a son – also speaking out about what had been an 'indescribably painful time' for her, as she faces raising a child without his father.
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Another of Payne’s exes, Danielle Peazer, has now also shared a heartfelt tribute to the star, saying on Instagram that she’d heard from him just weeks before his death.
“Whilst we all take the time to navigate in a world without Liam, it’s important to remember that while he was adored by millions as a world famous musician for the last decade, he was also someone’s son and brother for more than 30 years, a friend to so many and more recently an uncle,” she began.
“His most important role and something he was the most proud of out of all of his monumental successes was that he was a father. The thought that there is a now a child growing up without one of their parents is heartbreaking and unfair.
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“To Liam’s son Bear, as well as his parents and sisters, my love, thoughts and strength goes to you. The magnitude of this loss is incomprehensible and I will continue to support you in any way I am able to.”
Addressing Payne directly, she said the situation ‘still doesn’t feel real’.
“Despite being aware of your struggles over the years, I hoped and prayed this day would never come,” she continued.
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“But now we’re all facing the reality of living a life without your presence.”
Peazer admitted that, while at times he was her ‘favourite person in the world’, he could also ‘wind [her] up so much’ - and that she probably ‘annoyed’ him too.
“It was something we learned to accept of each other over 14 years, we could disagree on so many things yet still look out for each other in times of need and laugh about our disagreements and petty behaviour 10 mins later.”
Peazer, who dated Payne on-and-off from 2010 to 2013, is now married to radio DJ Sonny Jay, having welcomed their first daughter Mia back in May.
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But while her relationship with Payne had ended more than 10 years ago, she said that had seemed to ‘just be the start’ of their story.
“It took a little longer for you to figure out the person you wanted to be in order to be your happiest, but whilst most of us have our teens and twenties to learn about ourselves, you spend those years giving more to the world than you ever needed to,” Peazer went on.
“I wish you knew that you were always more than enough for this world without having to search for a role to play just to please others.”
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She added: “Receiving a message from you a couple of weeks ago expressing your happiness for the love I found with Sonny and Mia is something I’ll cherish forever.
“I’m sorry your story didn’t end differently, and I’m sorry you didn’t ever get to share more of your magic with the world.”
Topics: Celebrity, Liam Payne, Mental Health, Instagram
Jess Hardiman