Simon Cowell
Don’t Blame Me for Liam Payne’s Death
Published November 25, 2025 7:28 AM PST
Simon Cowell’s speaking out about Liam Payne … saying the loss hit him hard — but you can’t pin someone’s life on a guy 10 years after he signed them to a music deal.
“The X Factor” mogul addressed the chatter that he somehow played a role in Liam’s death last year … saying he doesn’t read that stuff because he’s not into self-torture, and honestly, the fact that people were blaming him? He just wasn’t having it.
Simon told Rolling Stone he recently spoke with Liam’s parents — who said the singer kept gushing about how proud he was of everything he’d achieved since soaring to fame with One Direction at age 14.
Simon explained he got the same vibe after hanging with Liam a year before he died — he really thought the guy was finally in a good place. But he still warned him … music isn’t your whole life, don’t let it eat you up again — go find another passion.
As we reported, Liam tragically fell to his death at 31 from a hotel balcony at the CasaSur in Buenos Aires in October last year. A toxicology report later showed alcohol and drugs in his system … and five people were arrested in connection with the incident.
