"Every tear I have shed is a memory of you": Simon Cowell reacts to Liam Payne's death with heartfelt tribute
English TV personality and entrepreneur Simon Cowell has released a statement expressing sympathy for the loss of Liam Payne. After the 1D singer's demise, Cowell took to Instagram on October 18 and wrote:
"You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you."
He continued:
"I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans."
Simon Cowell recalls his fond memories with Liam Payne
As CBS News' October 18 article noted, Simon Cowell greatly helped One Direction's rise in the early 2010s. Cowell and other X Factor judges formed the boyband in 2010, and by 2020, they had sold 70 million records, making them one of the world's biggest pop bands.
Now, in the wake of Liam Payne's death, Cowell disclosed that the two had met last year "just to sit and talk" rather than "for a meeting." He recalled:
"We reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago."
Praising the Liam Payne for not giving up, he then added:
"And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn't. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared."
Regarding the heartfelt messages that the singer's One Direction bandmates have shared in Liam Payne's memory, Cowell wrote:
"I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And reading their messages today I believe you were."
Cowell added that last year when Liam Payne visited him, they reminisced about the enjoyable moments that they spent together. Liam even expressed his pride at being a father. Cowell also met Bear, Payne's seven-year-old son. Cowell continued by saying that Bear would be pleased with Liam's accomplishments and how he achieved those.
An October 17 article in The Mirror claimed that the hotel where Liam was staying had called the emergency services in concern. The same source stated that the hotel workers claimed one of their guests was acting strange and that they found him "trashing the entire room."
The hotel receptionist allegedly informed the emergency dispatcher the guest was "overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol" and expressed concern that the guest had a balcony in his room and that they were worried that he might injure himself.
Minutes later a loud noise from the hotel courtyard was reported. When they hurried to investigate the noise's origin, Liam Payne was discovered lying still on the ground. Shortly after, the emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
