Music mogul Simon Cowell has broken his silence about the tragic death of Liam Payne, revealing intimate details of their final conversation before the One Direction star's untimely passing.
The Final Meeting
The X Factor creator disclosed that Payne visited his home just one year before the singer died in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024. The 31-year-old pop star fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel, sending shockwaves through the music industry and among fans worldwide.
Cowell, who first discovered Payne when he was just 14 years old and later placed him in the globally successful boy band during the 2010 series of X Factor, shared his heartfelt memories with Rolling Stone magazine. Despite Payne appearing to be "in a really good place" during their last encounter, Cowell admitted he still questions whether he could have done more to support the singer.
Emotional Reflections
"When I heard the news, it really hit me," Cowell confessed. "I saw him a year before this happened. He came over to my house. We talked about his son and being a dad."
The music executive recalled offering fatherly advice during their conversation: "I remember saying, 'Music is not everything. Don't let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about.'"
While promoting his new Netflix talent show Simon Cowell: The Next Act, the 64-year-old acknowledged wrestling with difficult questions. "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?'"
Family Comfort and Lasting Legacy
Despite these reflections, Cowell insisted he doesn't feel responsible for how Payne's life unfolded. He revealed recent conversations with the singer's parents, Geoff and Karen, provided some comfort.
"Having spoken to his mum and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was so proud of what he had achieved," Cowell shared. "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.'"
Addressing suggestions that he might bear some responsibility for Payne's struggles, Cowell remained pragmatic. "I don't read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself," he stated. "The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody's life, 10 years after you've signed someone? You can't do that."
Following Payne's death, Cowell released a moving tribute describing the singer as "kind, funny and talented" and emphasising that he "never forgot the fans." The emotional statement recalled their first meeting when Payne was a teenager and celebrated his journey to global stardom.
Cowell was later photographed comforting Payne's grieving parents at the funeral, sharing heartfelt embraces with Geoff and Karen as they mourned their son's devastating loss.
