Simon Cowell addresses the public conversation surrounding Liam Payne’s death and claims that he somehow played a role in it.
In a new interview in the Rolling Stone Music Now On the podcast, the 66-year-old producer made it clear that he does not accept the idea that he is to blame for the pressure placed on One Direction or what happened to Payne years after the group’s rise to fame.
Cowell said he actively avoids reading comments that accuse him of liability.
“I don’t read any of this because if I did, you’d just torture yourself,” he explained.
He added: “The idea that you are essentially responsible for someone’s life, 10 years after you hired someone? You can’t do that.”
One Direction, formed in The x factor In 2010, they became global stars after signing with Cowell’s Syco Records.
As talks resurfaced following Payne’s tragic death in 2024, former member Louis Tomlinson also defended the team behind the band, saying he never blamed anyone for the demanding workload.
“Was it really hard work? Yes. Didn’t we have enough days off? Yes,” Tomlinson said. the independent in October, reflecting on his fast-paced years.
Cowell shared that learning of Payne’s passing “really hit him,” especially since they had talked about it a year earlier.
During that conversation, the two talked about fatherhood and life beyond the music industry. Payne fathered son Bear, while Cowell shares son Eric with fiancee Lauren Silverman.
Cowell recalled advising Payne at the time: “Music isn’t everything. Don’t let it rule your life anymore. Find something else you’re passionate about.”
It made Payne reflect on difficult questions, wondering if he could have done more or what his life would have been like if the singer had never been in the band.
He recently spoke to Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen, who told him their son had been “very proud of what he had achieved.”
Cowell said he wishes he could “turn back time,” recalling that the last time they spoke, Payne seemed to be “in a really good place.”
Liam Payne died at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October 2024.
Toxicology findings showed alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system at the time.
