Former “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell attended the funeral services for Liam Payne on November 20. According to Page Six, Cowell was in tears as he embraced Payne’s parents at the cemetery.
The former “X Factor” judge attended the services with his fiancee, Lauren Silverman. He wore all black and kept his tears hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. He was seen wiping his eyes in at least one picture.
Cowell first met Payne in 2010 when he auditioned for the “X Factor.” The show’s creator helped form the band One Direction, putting Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson together with Payne. Though the guys all went their separate ways, they were incredibly successful for quite a few years.
Payne died on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31-years-old.
Some Fans Were Upset by the Candid Photos of Liam Payne’s Family & Simon Cowell
Cowell is known for his tough exterior and isn’t known to publicly show emotions. However, he couldn’t help but feel heartbroken at Payne’s funeral. Dozens of fans commented on the emotional pictures posted to Page Six’s Instagram feed.
“It’s so sad, so so sad. My heart genuinely breaks for his mum though, cos she was genuinely his biggest biggest fan and it was always so obvious just how proud of him she was. Heartbreaking! Rest easy, angel,” one person wrote.
“RIP Sweet LiamPayne you will be missed,” someone else wrote.
Meanwhile, others expressed anger toward the outlet for uploading the private moments on social media.
“Leave him & his family in peace. The news/tabloid’s have no business being at anyone’s funeral,” a fan said.
“Talk about invasion of privacy!!!! Let them all grieve ffs!!!! So sad,” a fourth comment read.
Simon Cowell Penned a Lengthy Tribute to Liam Payne
After learning of Payne’s death, Cowell took to social media to share a tribute.
“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell said in a statement posted on Instagram on October 18.
“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you,” he continued.
“This is so difficult to put in words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. 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,” he added.
At the end of the statement Cowell said that he thought of One Direction as “brothers.”
“Reading their messages today I believe you were,” he said adding, “rest in peace, my friend.”
Cowell turned the comments on the post off and hasn’t returned to Instagram since.
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Simon Cowell Breaks Down in Tears at Liam Payne’s Funeral