The X-Factor mogul spoke for the first time about how sorry he was for Liam Payne’s passing and what he wished he had done differently after speaking about his final encounter with the actor.
It’s been just over a year since Liam Payne’s tragic death at 31, and those who knew him are still grappling with the sudden loss of the troubled star. And many of the agonising questions around that fateful day, where Liam fell from from a third-storey hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, remain unanswered. Police are still combing through 800 hours of CCTV footage surrounding the One Direction star’s death and the two suspects charged with suppling the star with drugs are in jail, but no trial date has been set. They deny the charges.
Police are still examining Liam’s laptop and the phones of those connected to the inquiry. It’s very frustrating as the likelihood of a trial still seems a long way off, and there is a sense that the police investigation is too slow”, a source said earlier this year.
In January, a UK inquest ruled Liam’s cause of death to be polytrauma, when a person sustains multiple injuries to the body. A toxicology report also confirmed that traces of cocaine, alcohol and prescription antidepressants had been found in his system.
Before his passing, the singer described how becoming famous overnight at such a young age had taken a toll on his mental health and substance abuse struggles.
Now the man who skyrocketed Liam to dizzying heights of stardom is finally ready to speak out after his death. Simon Cowell, the X-Factor mastermind and founder of One Direction, has broken his silence on Liam’s tragic passing, in an astonishingly candid interview ahead of his new Netflix show. Here we look at Simon’s biggest revelations, from his last meeting with Liam to his heartbreaking regret…
Simon’s devastating realization
Liam had been spending time in Argentina to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert when he tragically died. Katie Cassidy, the star’s girlfriend, had been visiting him in the US before the tragedy so she had to flee.
It’s since been claimed that Liam had planned to return to the US but he experienced issues with his visa application, which asked about drugs and alcohol. Before his visa was granted, Liam would have needed a psychological evaluation and psychological evaluation from a doctor because he had been a substance abuser and had spent time in rehab.
Opening up about the “awful” moment he was told that Liam had died, Simon told The New York Times: “Somebody who works with me very closely came into my room… I could tell by the look of her face that she was upset. She said, ‘Sit down,’ and she told me. And it was like – wow. It was a bit like I felt when I heard the news when my dad passed away.”
The manager mogul claimed that he was completely shocked and “not really thinking clearly.” He continued, “I just remember saying, I really need to speak with his parents. Can you get them on the phone as soon as possible please? ‘ Because of how that must have felt as a parent, according to God. Simon said he was aware of Liam’s parents and “wanted to reach out” to him. “It was just awful, awful”.
Following the heartbreaking news, shocking details about Liam’s final moments with fans before he plunged from the hotel balcony surfaced. A woman, only known as Rebecca, had a half-hour chat with Liam in the hotel lobby and described him as “desperate” to be recognised. She claimed that he unprompted a line of passengers waiting for the lift so they wouldn’t be “bothered” by who he was and yelled “I’m Liam.” She claimed that Liam’s laptop was returned to the lobby.
Surmising that he’d spotted an email that “upset” him, Rebecca said: “Suddenly he took the computer, shouted ‘ f**k this s**t mate! ‘ and began “blanking” the computer against the wall” Rebecca claimed she asked the singer if he was okay despite the “out of place” behavior of the “high-end” hotel’s shocked onlookers.
She explained: “But he just kind of grunted. Then he said, “I used to be in a boyband.” That’s why I’m so f**ked up, ” “. Shocked at his admission, she saw him get back in the lift, before a “British guy” apologised to the group on “his behalf”, saying Liam “gets so high” sometimes. She added that while staff helped him enter the lift, he fell over when he returned to the lobby.
Hopeful last exchange
Simon shared intimate moments from his final meeting with Liam, where the star came to his home to visit. The X-Factor judge remarked, “I remember seeing him walk into this room and saying, “God, you look amazing, Liam, you look amazing. What have you accomplished?
Liam told his former mentor that he’d been going to the gym. They also discussed the star’s cherished son Bear, who he shared with Cheryl, his ex-partner and Girls Aloud star. We discussed his son’s significance as a father. And I was talking to him about there’s more to life than just music, you’ve got to a point in your life where you’ve got choice now, etc. We simply became friends. That’s why Simon explained that I was so shocked and surprised when I first learned about it.
Before his death, Liam, a devoted father who had good relations with Cheryl, had previously discussed co-parenting and his desire that Bear resurrect his fortune. And sources claim that his ex-partner will ensure that the situation is exactly as it is. Cheryl was granted the power of administration of the musician’s estate after his death. It is believed that Liam placed his son’s trust in his son’s fortune, which he largely made during his boyband years. According to court records, the star left a total of £28, 595, 000, which was later reduced to £24, 280, 000 after his expenses and debts were paid.
“It is a small consolation that Bear will never want for anything, that he will at least benefit from that. For a while, Liam was surrounded by some very wise people, and he was deeply in love with Bear. According to a source close to Liam, he “always wanted to do the right thing for him financially.”
‘Liked in a room’ claims
Liam previously acknowledged his struggles with fame and claimed that touring with his bandmates when he was just a teenager “really f****ed him up.” He said the worst part was getting “locked up” in hotel rooms for security reasons after performing. The troubled star stated on the podcast The Diary of a CEO in 2021, “The issue we had in the band. The best way to secure us when we were in the band was, in my opinion, to lock us in our rooms and, of course, [a] minibar.
He added: “My dad said it from day one – lonely hotel rooms, man – getting locked in that room is not fun when you’ve been exposed.” He also told podcast host Steven Barltett that he had a few “rock bottom moments” during his career, which he admitted he was “very good at hiding.”
When asked specifically about that interview and whether he knew that Liam was struggling, Simon said: “A little bit. There were conversations I never would have had with him, private advice I sought out, which is what fame entails, etc. However, you’re signing a lot of artists, and my job is essentially to get them with the right production team, get the managers, and try to make them successful.
He continued: “But at the same time, I probably had about 20 artists on my books at the time. They seem to have left the nest a little bit. You constantly claim to be there when you need to, but you are unable to follow them everywhere.
Tragic ‘ regret ‘
In the heartbreaking Steven Bartlett interview that surfaced shortly after his passing, Liam claimed to be “good” at “hiding” his struggles. He acknowledged, “I was concerned about how far my rock bottom would go.” “Where is rock bottom for me? It would never have been seen by you. I’m very good at concealing it. No one would have ever seen it”. “Rock bottom,” he added. I mean, I’m not even sure if I’ve already done it… I can make that choice now and quick my last moment as my rock bottom or I can make a new one”.
When he said, “If I could go back in time to that day when he was in my house here, you would always think about things like that,” Simon said in response to his final encounter with Liam, which appeared to be in good health. What if I’d said this? Suppose I had said that.
There are only certain things you can do with any artist, though. If you just have one artist in your life, maybe, but I’m not a manager. The label management is my job. And you only hope they have a good time and are content.
Source: Mirror
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