Simon Cowell Says 'I Feel Empty' After Liam Payne's Untimely Death

One Direction former member Liam Payne’s untimely death sent shockwaves in the entire entertainment industry. On October 16, the singer was declared dead after sustaining severe injuries reportedly after falling from his hotel’s third-floor balcony in Argentina. Soon after the official announcement, tributes started flooding in from music legends, his huge fans, family and friends. Amongst them was One Direction co-creator Simon Cowell’s heartwarming post for the late member of the pop brand that has been making rounds on the internet.

The renowned music mogul Simon Cowell expressed his devastation over the tragic passing of Liam Payne. On October 18, he shared picture posts on Instagram, wherein he began by saying, “You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty.”

The record executive added, “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.” For the unknown, Cowell met Payne when he was 14 years old. The singer then swooned X-Factor judges with his rendition of Michael Bublé’s Cry Me A River. Initially rejected as a contestant, Payne was determined to make headlines someday. Undoubtedly, he returned stronger and won hearts with his vocals. Recalling the fond memories, the X-Factor judge shared, “You came back and within months, the whole world knew Liam. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together.”

Cowell even remembered his last meeting with Payne, when the former met the singer’s baby boy Bear, who has similar features to his daddy. “And how proud you were to be a Dad,” he revealed. The Syco Music founder then mentioned his brotherly bond with The Right Now singer and penned, “I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And regarding their messages today I believe you were.” He concluded, “Rest in peace my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.”

The X-Factor judge’s post after the 31-year-old singer’s death started receiving hate on the internet soon after being uploaded. Shortly after that, Cowell had to turn off the comments.

Cowell helped the singers climb the stairs of immense stardom at a very young age. However, as per the comments posted earlier, it was believed that he couldn’t protect them from its aftereffects, as reported by Hindustan Times. Over the years, the pop band members openly talked about how they dealt with it. As per reports, a user wrote, “He failed the boys, failed to protect them when they were young.”