Music mogul Simon Cowell has broken his year-long silence following the tragic death of Liam Payne, sharing intimate details of their final meeting and expressing profound regret about what might have been done differently.
The Tragic Loss
It has been just over a year since Liam Payne's sudden death at age 31, which occurred when the One Direction star fell from a third-storey hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The music world and fans worldwide continue to grapple with the loss of the troubled singer.
Police investigations remain ongoing, with authorities still examining 800 hours of CCTV footage related to the incident. Two suspects charged with supplying drugs to Payne remain in jail, though no trial date has been set, and both deny the charges.
A source close to the investigation expressed frustration earlier this year, stating: "Police are still looking through Liam's laptop and the mobile phones of people connected to the inquiry. The likelihood of a trial still seems a long way off, and there is a sense that the police investigation is too slow."
Simon Cowell's Heartbreaking Revelation
In an emotional interview with The New York Times, Cowell described the devastating moment he learned of Payne's death. "Somebody who works with me very closely came into my room... I could tell by the look of her face that she was upset," he recalled. "She said, 'Sit down,' and she told me. And it was like - wow. It was a bit like I felt when I heard the news when my dad passed away."
The X-Factor judge said his immediate concern was for Payne's parents. "I just remember saying: 'I really need to speak to his mum and dad. Can you get them on the phone as soon as possible please?' Because, God, as a parent, what that must have felt like."
The Final Meeting
Cowell shared poignant details about his last encounter with Payne, which occurred at his home approximately a year before the tragedy. Sitting in the same room where they had met, Cowell remembered: "I remember seeing him walk into this room and saying: 'God, you look amazing, Liam. What have you done?'"
During their conversation, Payne revealed he had been regularly attending the gym. The pair also discussed the singer's son, Bear, whom he shared with ex-partner Cheryl. "We talked about his son and how much it means to be a dad," Cowell explained. "And I was talking to him about there's more to life than just music; you've got to a point in your life where you've got choice now, etc. We just hung out as friends. That's why I was so shocked and surprised when I heard the news."
Financial Security for Bear
Following Payne's death, it has been confirmed that his substantial estate will benefit his young son. Cheryl was granted power of administration over the musician's estate, with court documents revealing Payne left £24,280,000 after expenses and debts were paid from an original total of £28,595,000.
A source close to Liam confirmed: "It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that. Liam had some very sensible people around him for a time and he adored Bear so much. He always wanted to do the right thing by him financially."
Struggles with Fame
Payne had been openly candid about his mental health challenges and substance abuse issues before his death. In a resurfaced 2021 interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he revealed how touring as a teenager "really f****d him up," particularly the practice of being "locked up" in hotel rooms for security reasons after performances.
"The problem we had in the band," Payne explained. "It feels like when we were in the band the best way to secure us because of how big it got was just to lock us in our rooms and of course what's in the room, [a] minibar."
When asked about these revelations and whether he knew Payne was struggling, Cowell admitted: "A little bit. There was stuff I never would have spoken about then, private conversations and advice I tried to give him, which is what comes with fame, etc."
Heartbreaking Regret
Reflecting on their final meeting, Cowell expressed the natural regret that follows such tragedies. "If I could go back in time to that one day when he was in my house here - obviously, you always think about things like that. What if I'd said this? What if I had said that?"
However, the music executive acknowledged the limitations of his role: "But there's only so much you can do with any artist. If you just have one artist in your life, maybe, but I'm not a manager. My job is to run the label. And you just hope that they are successful and happy."
The official inquest into Payne's death, held in January, ruled his cause of death as polytrauma - when a person sustains multiple injuries to the body. A toxicology report confirmed traces of cocaine, alcohol and prescription antidepressants in his system at the time of his passing.
