Recently Simon Cowell gave an interview to “Rolling Stone”. The conversation touched on negative comments and speculations suggesting a tragic death Liam Payne was related to his joining One Direction at the age of just 16. Let us recall that the boy band was formed after Cowell brought together five promising young singers who auditioned for the talent show “X Factor”.
Simon Cowell reacts to negative comments
“I don’t read these things because if I did, I’d be torturing myself. The idea that you’re responsible for someone’s life 10 years after you signed a contract with them? You just can’t do that,” Simon Cowell explained when asked how he felt about people blaming him for Liam Payne’s death.
The celebrity also talked about the last time he saw the musician. The meeting took place a year before his death: “I remember saying: ‘Music is not everything. Don’t let it take over your life. Find something that also gives you passion’. You always ask yourself this question: ‘Could I have done something more? What would have happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in this band?'”
Cowell also reached out to Payne’s family after the tragedy: “When I talked to his mom and dad recently, they kept saying he was very proud of what he had achieved. I wish I could turn back the clock, of course. When I talked to him that day, I had a really good feeling. I thought, ‘Wow, it sounds like you’re in a really good place.'”
Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024 as a result of falling from a balcony on the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires. At the time of the incident, the musician was under the influence of alcohol and drugs.