Simon Cowell addresses the public conversation surrounding Liam Payne’s death and the claims that he somehow played a part in it.
In a new interview about Rolling Stone music now podcast, the 66-year-old producer made it clear that he does not accept the idea that he is to blame for the pressure on One Direction or for what happened to Payne years after the group’s rise to fame.
Cowell said he actively avoids reading comments that accuse him of responsibility.
“I don’t read any of this because if I did, you’d just torture yourself,” he explained.
He added: “The idea that you’re essentially responsible for someone’s life 10 years after you signed someone? You can’t do that.”
One Direction, formed on The X Factor became global stars in 2010 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. Did we not have enough days off? Yes,” Tomlinson shared The independent in October and reflect on their fast year.
Cowell said learning of Payne’s passing “really hit” him, especially since they had talked about a year in advance.
During that conversation, the two opened up about fatherhood and life beyond the music business. Payne fathered his son Bear, while Cowell shares son Eric with fiancée 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.”
He made Payne think about difficult questions, wondering if he could have done more or what life might have been like if the singer had never been in the band.
He recently checked in with Payne’s parents, Geoff and Karen, who told him their son had been “so proud of what he had accomplished.”
Cowell said he wished he could “turn back the clock,” recalling that the last time they spoke, Payne seemed to be “in a really good place.”
Liam Payne died aged 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.
