(NewsNation) — Simon Cowell is pushing back against claims that he’s to blame for Liam Payne’s death.
During his appearance on the “Rolling Stone Music Now” podcast, Cowell addressed criticism that he placed too much pressure on One Direction and failed to support them as they rose to fame.
“I don’t read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself,” Cowell said. “The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that.”
Payne was discovered on Cowell’s music competition series X-Factor in 2010. He, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, auditioned separately on the series before forming the boy band One Direction.
Liam Payne dies at 31
Payne died on October 2024 in Argentina after he fell from the third floor of the CasaSur Hotel in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. He was 31.
According to a UK medical examiner, the “What Makes You Beautiful” singer died from polytrauma, which occurs when a person experiences injuries to multiple body parts and organ systems.
Cowell told Rolling Stone that Payne’s death “really hit me” and the last time he spoke to the singer was a year before when they spoke about fatherhood.
“I remember saying, ‘Music is not everything. Don’t let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about,’” Cowell remembered. “You ask yourself that question: ‘Could I have done anything more? What would’ve happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in the band?’”