Ruth Gibbons paid tribute to her little brother on Instagram, and recalled the times when she would pick him up after sold-out One Direction gigs, as she said he had ‘music in his veins’
Liam Payne’s sister Ruth Gibbons has revealed the heartbreaking way she’ll help raise his young son Bear, who has been left without his dad.
Pop star Liam, 31, died in a fall from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, and authorities are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his tragic death. His family, including mum Karen and dad Geoff, released a statement as news of Liam’s passing emerged, and shared their grief as they asked for privacy following their beloved son’s death.
Tributes poured in from his former mentor Simon Cowell, as well as his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, and his former partner Cheryl. The couple began dating in 2016, and split after welcoming their first child, son Bear Liam Payne, in 2017. The Strip That Down hitmaker spoke fondly of the love for his son in interviews over the years, and shared images of the youngster on Instagram, with his face blocked out with an emoji to protect his privacy.
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Cheryl begged for privacy as she implored people to treat Liam with dignity after his shock death. “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 that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again,” she wrote.
“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 few days,” Cheryl continued. Just hours after she released her powerful statement, Liam’s big sister Ruth took to Instagram to make an emotional vow to her little brother’s child.
“We’ll take care of Bear and he will always know how incredible his Dad is and how much you idolise him,” Ruth wrote. Her statement on her brother’s devastating death has left fans heartbroken, as she recalled sweet memories from their childhood together, as well as supporting him when he shot to superstardom with One Direction.
“Liam is my best friend. No one could ever make me laugh as much as him, doing his impressions always had me creasing and he loved seeing how much of a laugh he could get,” she wrote. “‘I just want to drive to your house and walk into music blasting and find you sat there writing a song, or walk into your art phases and sit with you while you draw or craft.”
“You just wanted to be loved and to make people happy with your music. You never believed you were good enough, I hope you can see this outpouring of love that you never received in your time,” Ruth continued. “Thank you for changing my life, thank you for the incredible memories, thank you for being the best brother and friend I’ll ever have!”
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