Simon Cowell said he feels no guilt over the death of Liam Payne, the One Direction star.
The 31-year-old late singer died tragically last year after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Simon said he has faced questions and criticism about whether the pressures of talent shows played a role in Liam’s life.
The 66-year-old music icon told the Daily Mail that he spoke to the late singer’s parents a few months after the tragedy.
Reflecting on Liam’s determination and ambition, Cowell said: “I don’t feel guilty because you can’t guess someone’s destiny.
All I know is that he was immensely proud of what he had achieved. It meant a lot to him.”
He also shared that they highlighted how much music meant to their son and how proud he was to reach The X Factor a second time.
The music producer said that losing someone suddenly is very painful, but that the blame is not always fair.
However, he believes it is more important to look at the person’s life, what they achieved and how they lived, and describes guilt as something that can weigh people down without helping anyone.
His comments have sparked conversations about fame, responsibility and how people deal with tragedies in the entertainment world.
The dad-of-one recalled the moment he learned of Liam’s death while filming Britain’s Got Talent in Blackpool.
Simon went on to describe the news as shocking and compared the grief to losing his own parents.
