Simon Cowell ‘sobbed uncontrollably’ after Liam Payne’s tragic death

Simon Cowell poses with Liam Payne (L)
Simon Cowell wept over the death of Liam Payne (Picture: Jeff Kravitz)

Liam Payne’s death devastated the world, including former manager Simon Cowell who ‘sobbed’ uncontrollably to Sinitta.

The music mogul, 65, had been One Direction’s manager after their run on The X Factor and was spotted tearing up at his funeral.

Payne died aged 31 on October 16, 2024, after he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with an investigation into his death is currently ongoing.

A friend claimed that Payne, who had been open about his mental health struggles, was previously sectioned following a serious drug overdose in May.

Sinitta, 61, shared that Cowell was inconsolable before sharing his own tribute to the late singer, as did the surviving One Direction bandmates.

‘He was absolutely devastated,’ she confirmed on the Nicky Byrne HQ podcast. ‘I spoke to Simon, obviously, it was a private conversation, but he usually contains his emotions, he’s quite stoic isn’t he? But he was absolutely gone.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan of One Direction pose with Simon Cowell (C) for a photocall to promote the X-Factor final held at The Connaught Hotel on December 9, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Cowell managed One Direction’s rise to fame (Picture: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
AMERSHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 20: Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman attend the funeral for singer Liam Payne, former member of One Direction, on November 20, 2024 in Amersham, England. Former One Direction star Liam Payne's private funeral in Amersham has been widely anticipated to draw celebrities and fans alike, wishing to pay their final respects. The singer died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
He was ‘just sobbing’ when he found out about Payne (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

She continued: ‘Just holding the phone, he was just sobbing. It’s the first time in my life I thought, “Well we normally come to you when we don’t know what to do”. But he was absolutely devastated.’

The So Macho hitmaker and Cowell have remained close since dating briefly in the 80s and are godparents to each other’s children.

‘They were like his babies,’ Sinitta added of his bond with the 1D members. ‘He went on this journey with them, he was part of it – he was almost the sixth member.’

An insider previously told Daily Mail the five boys were ‘like sons’ to Cowell who was going through ‘so many emotions’.

Sinitta addressed the anger fans directed at Cowell and the X Factor machine after Payne’s death.

AMERSHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 20: Simon Cowell is comforted by Geoff Payne (L) as they depart the funeral for singer Liam Payne, former member of One Direction, on November 20, 2024 in Amersham, England. Former One Direction star Liam Payne's private funeral in Amersham has been widely anticipated to draw celebrities and fans alike, wishing to pay their final respects. The singer died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Cowell was seen tearing up at the One Direction star’s funeral (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Concerns were raised about the handling of his and other stars’ mental health after the sudden skyrocket to fame that the ITV show provided.

Payne was just 14 years old when he first auditioned for the competition then returned two years later and joined 1D along with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.

Their meteoric rise to fame was compared to Beatlesmania at the time, with the group quickly becoming one of the most well-known boybands of all time.

Sinitta called the criticisms levied at Cowell for not protecting Payne from falling into substance abuse ‘a bit unfair’.

Collars And Cuffs Ball: Arrivals
Sinitta and Cowell are incredibly good friends (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
File photo dated 02/11/15 of Niall Horan (far left), Harry Styles (left), Simon Cowell (centre) Louis Tomlinson (right) and Liam Payne (far right) 1D present the Music Industry Trust Award to Simon Cowell at the Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS) in aid of charities Nordon Robbins and Brit Trust at the Grosvenor House Hotel. London. Liam Payne has died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to local officials. He was 31.Issue date: Wednesday October 16, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story DEATH Payne. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
She has been by his side throughout One Direction’s journey (Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

‘Some people were blaming him,’ she added. ‘Saying he should have done something but even though he was very young, he was still a grown man and in charge of his own life. You can’t bubble-wrap everyone.

‘It was just the saddest, most awful thing. His poor parents and family. It’s the worst phone call, you never want to get.’

Girlfriend Kate Cassidy recently revealed Payne was keen to reunite with his ‘brothers’ after the band split in 2015.

She told The Sun: ‘I think everybody had hopes for a reunion at some point. Liam would have been more than happy in the future to do that.

‘He was so proud of the boys. He loved them so much he looked at them as brothers.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

About admin