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Simon Cowell is setting the record straight.
The “American Idol” alum, 66, responded to claims that some people think he is to blame for Liam Payne’s death in October 2024. The singer died at age 31 after falling off a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Some critics have accused Cowell of putting too much pressure on One Direction and not lending support when they became famous.
“I don’t read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself,” the music executive said while on the “Rolling Stone Music Now” podcast. “The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that.”
Cowell first met Payne on “The X Factor” in 2010. He rejected him from the show when he initially auditioned at just 14.
Cowell later put Payne together with Zayn Malik, 32; Harry Styles, 31; Niall Horan, 32; and Louis Tomlinson, 33; to form One Direction.
The group placed third on Season 7, but soon became a world wide sensation. The band put out five studio albums, went on four world tours and won a multitude of awards.
Cowell told “Rolling Stone” that it “really hit me” when he found out about Payne’s passing.
The last time the British media mogul saw the late star was a year prior to his death.
During their time together, the pals spoke about fatherhood. Cowell is dad to son Eric, 11, with fiancée Lauren Silverman. Payne shared son Bear, 8, with ex Cheryl.
“I remember saying, ‘Music is not everything. Don’t let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about,’” Cowell recounted telling his former protegee. “You ask yourself that question: ‘Could I have done anything more? What would’ve happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in the band?’”
Cowell has also stayed in contact with Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen.
The grieving couple relayed that their son had been “so proud of what he had achieved.”
“I wish I could turn back the clock, of course. When I spoke to him that day, I felt really good about him,” Cowell mused. “I thought, ‘Wow, you seem in a really good place.’”
In October, meanwhile, Tomlinson made it clear he didn’t blame anyone for the boy band’s grueling schedule.
“Look, in any situation similar to this, hindsight is a really powerful thing,” he told The Independent in October. “I don’t blame anyone for my experience in One Direction. Was it really hard work? Yes. Did we not have enough days off? Yes.”
Tomlinson also called Payne’s death “something I’ll never really accept, I don’t think.”
“Liam would always entertain me. If I was bored and wanted to have a laugh, he would play that role,” he continued. “Any opportunity Liam got… he was always, always there for me. Even if he might have been struggling, he put himself second and still turned up. Those moments are really a testament to the truth of who he was as a person.”
Payne fractured his skull and died instantly of “very serious injuries” when he plunged from his third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024.
An autopsy showed that he may have been unconscious when he fell.
According to the report, his cause of death was “polytrauma, internal and external hemorrhage” and the cranial brain injuries alone would have been enough to cause death. Additionally, he suffered internal and external hemorrhages in the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs, which “contributed to the mechanism of death.”
Cowell paid tribute to Payne two days later.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” he wrote on Instagram. “Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
“I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me,” Cowell continued in part. “What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.”
The remaining members of One Direction also released a joint statement after the tragic news broke.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the message read. “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”