Simon Cowell has broken his silence over the accusations that he played a role in Liam Payne’s passing, pushing back at the tide of blame that resurfaced over a year after the former One Direction star lost his life in Buenos Aires.
As per local police, Payne fell from a hotel balcony in October 2024 while under the influence of illegal substances.
The tragedy left millions of fans reeling, and in the chaos that followed, people began searching for someone to blame. Within hours, fingers were pointed squarely at Cowell. For many of Payne’s followers, the TV presenter overworked One Direction at the expense of their mental health.
Cowell addressed the backlash on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast.
Simon Cowell pushed back against claims that he had a hand in Liam Payne’s tragic passing
Image credits: simoncowell
“I don’t read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself,” he confessed.
“The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that.”
Image credits: Liam Payne Official
Cowell added that he never expected to be blamed for the tragedy, and talked about how he and Payne had maintained a close relationship despite what fans wanted to believe. When news of Payne’s passing reached him, he said the shock was immediate.
“When I heard the news, it really hit me. I saw him a year before this happened. He came over to my house. We talked about his son and being a dad.”
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Cowell suggested he sensed that Payne was struggling, at least to some extent, and tried to help him. He recalled trying to steer him toward a healthier direction during their last meeting.
“I remember saying, ‘Music is not everything. Don’t let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about.’”
Image credits: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Cowell admitted that the conversation stayed with him after the tragedy, and that the sense of helplessness that followed never went away.
“You ask yourself that question: ‘Could I have done anything more?’”
Cowell said he remained on good terms with both Liam and his family, and that the news took him by surprise
Image credits: Liam Payne Official
The TV presenter then made it clear that he is on good terms with Payne’s parents, pushing back against claims that he exploited their son during One Direction’s rise.
“Having spoken to his mom and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was so proud of what he had achieved,” he added.
Payne’s fans and former contestants, however, saw things differently.
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Rebecca Ferguson, who competed on The X Factor in 2010 alongside the members of One Direction, accused the series of exploitation and profiteering, claiming Payne would still be alive had he never auditioned.
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Another contestant, Katie Waissel, accused the show of failing to prioritise the emotional and physical welfare of its contestants.
In the same vein, Sharon Osbourne, who served as a judge on The X Factor before leaving the series in 2007, questioned who had been in Payne’s corner at the beginning of his career. Implying he had no real support system.
Cowell signed One Direction to his company, Syco Entertainment, working with them during their busiest years
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Payne’s connection to Cowell stretched back to 2008, when the 14-year-old auditioned for The X Factor.
Cowell rejected him, telling him it was not his time. Payne returned in 2010. It was then that Cowell and the other judges grouped him with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, forming One Direction.
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The show was produced by Cowell’s company, Syco and Fremantle, for ITV. After the band finished in third place, Cowell took them directly under his wing and signed them to Syco Entertainment.
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Their debut album arrived in 2011. What followed were six years defined by nonstop tours, constant media scrutiny, and a schedule that left little room for rest.
The machine kept moving until 2016, when the group finally split after reaching a breaking point.
“When you’re doing hundreds and hundreds of concerts and it’s the same 22 songs at the same time every single day, even if you’re not happy, you’ve got to go out there,” Payne told Men’s Health Australia in 2019.
“We had an absolute blast but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic.”
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The hashtag #JusticeForLiam erupted with old accusations about Cowell focusing on profits rather than mental health soon after the tragedy. The producer mourning the loss with a post on social media only made things worse.
“You better not even mention his name,” one comment read.
Cowell’s upcoming Netflix project, The Next Act, is a six-episode series in which the music mogul is leaning heavily on his fame as the producer behind One Direction, Westlife, and Fifth Harmony.
The series, which will debut on December 10, will follow Cowell as he chooses from 16 candidates to create the “perfect boy band.”
“Boycott.” Liam’s fans weren’t too pleased to know Cowell is working on his next boy band project
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