Liam Payne's ex-girlfriend Danielle Peazer has broken her silence for the first time since the former One Direction star tragically died in Argentina.
In a statement shared on her Instagram Stories, the 36-year-old social media influencer, who met Liam when she was a backing dancer on X Factor, said she is grieving and needs time to do so privately. Danielle, who dated Liam for two years between 2010 and 2012, urged her fans to take care of themselves and promised to "share more" about her feelings when she feels "mentally strong enough to face the reality of what's happened."
In 2022, ten years after splitting up, Danielle and Liam reconciled, and were seen leaving the Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch, London, together. They were also spotted together at celeb hotspots Chiltern Firehouse and Annabel's.
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daniellepeazer/Instagram)However, the rekindling didn't last and Danielle moved on with former Capital FM DJ Sonny Jay, who won Dancing On Ice in 2021. In May this year, Sonny, 31, and Danielle, 36, announced the birth of their daughter.
Today, Danielle took to Instagram to share her feelings following Liam's death as she wrote: "Over the last few days I've been trying to process the news of Liam's death. Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to call, text, or DM sending condolences and offering support. I'm so grateful and it's helped more than you know.
"In time I will share more, but right now I don't feel mentally strong enough to face the reality of what's happened. Like all of us, I too am grieving, and need to take some time to do that privately. It's a heartbreaking time, which has already been made so much more challenging due to receiving negative and misinformed comments as well as pre-conceived judgement from those who don't personally know me, Liam or anything about our relationship over the last 14 years."
She concluded: "I will be back soon when I'm ready, but until then please take care of yourselves and each other." Danielle's statement came after Liam's sister Ruth Gibbins shared a tear-jerking tribute to the late singer.
As she paid tribute, Ruth said she was "in awe" of her brother's talent and said all he wanted to do was be loved for his music but the world was "not always kind" to him. As their father landed in Argentina to arrange repatriation of Liam's body, Ruth, 33, shared her heartfelt tribute to her brother on Instagram.
Ms Gibbins wrote: "My brain is struggling to catch up with what's happening and I don't understand where you've gone. What I love most about you is your ability to make me laugh, I never chuckle as much as I do when I'm with you with anyone else. I'm always in awe of your talent, it should be illegal to be so talented and just have the ability to not only be good at things but be bloody great at everything you attempt, without even knowing you're absolutely smashing it each time."
She continued: "I don't feel this world was good enough or kind enough to you and quite often over the last few years, you've had to really try hard to overcome all that was being aimed at you. 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 now see this outpouring of love that you never received in your time."
Ruth ended her moving message: "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. One last time I need you to know, I'm here if you need anything, I'd drive to the end of the universe to bring you back." She also said how her family would "take care of Bear", Liam's seven-year-old son, who he shares with ex Cheryl Tweedy.
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