Simon Cowell, the sometimes irascible former American Idol judge and current AGT judge, has answered those who try to pin some blame for the death of singer Liam Payne on him. He says it's just not true, per music-news.com. Per the outlet, Cowell has faced harsh blowback. Some claim "he had a part to play in the singer's death because he put Payne in One Direction on The X Factor at the age of 16 and signed the group to his record label."
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Liam Payne lost his life in 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. It was determined that the singer had ingested antidepressants, alcohol, and cocaine.
Per the outlet via Rolling Stone, Cowell, 66, firmly fended off his critics. "I don't read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself. The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody's life, 10 years after you've signed someone? You can't do that."
Cowell and Payne First Crossed Paths When the Singer Was 14
Cowell first met Payne 17 years ago, when Payne was 14 years old. He was auditioning for The X Factor at the time. Cowell advised him to return in two years. He did, and Payne became a member of the band One Direction. His fellow bandmates were Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson.
His Final Meeting With Payne
Cowell said that he and Payne last got together "a year before he died." He appeared to be, in Cowell's words per the outlet, "in a really good place."
"I remember saying, 'Music is not everything. Don't let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about. 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 added, "Having spoken to his mom and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was 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. I thought, 'Wow, you seem in a really good place.'"
