Music mogul Simon Cowell apparently took singer Liam Payne’s death particularly hard. He launched the One Direction star’s career after seeing him sing in 2010 on The X Factor.
Liam passed away in October 2024 at the age of 31 after falling from a third floor Argentina hotel balcony. He reportedly had been binging drugs prior to his passing.
The music mogul has “been wrestling with” emotions “ever since”
Simon was so emotional after his friend’s death that he disappeared for a week, according to Radar.
Liam skyrocketed to fame with fellow One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan. The band is one of the top pop acts of this century with hits like What Makes You Beautiful and Best Song Ever.
Someone close to Simon said he feels responsible for his protégés. This is why Liam’s death impacted him so deeply. “Simon took Liam’s death incredibly personally. He has worked with so many young artists over the years, but One Direction was different because he watched them grow up from teenagers into global stars,” the source said.
Liam’s challenges made Simon question the added pressures young performers who quickly rise to fame face. “There is a feeling among people around Simon that Liam’s death exposed the darker side of the machine that creates these massive pop stars,” another source notes. “Simon has been wrestling with that emotionally ever since.”
Simon voiced his feelings during the Daily Mail podcast, Tales From the Celebrity Trenches, saying, “What do you do in a situation like that? It was so bad, I was in pieces. There were so many things going on in my head. I literally just disappeared somewhere for a week to think everything through because I knew I was really, really struggling.”
At the time of Liam’s death, Simon was filming the Netflix series, The Next Act, which documented his search for young bands.
Liam’s death has “permanently changed” Simon’s opinion on fame and the challenges young artists face, according to sources.
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