Simon Cowell speaks out after Liam Payne’s death

Simon Cowell has released a statement about Liam Payne’s tragic sudden death.

“You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,” Cowell wrote on Instagram Friday.

“Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty,” he continued. “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.”

Cowell said it was “difficult” to put his emotions “into words” — but he tried his best to do so regardless.

Simon Cowell, seen here with Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Liam Payne in 2013, has spoken out about Liam Payne’s death. Getty Images

“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.”

Cowell reflected on the first time he met Payne at 14, when he rejected him on “The X Factor” because it “wasn’t [his] time.”

“And we both made a promise that we would meet again,” he continued. “A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t.”

“You came back and within months the whole world know [sic] Liam. And you never forget the fans. I had watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.”

Cowell revealed Payne came to see him “last year,” not “for a meeting” but “just to sit and talk.”

Cowell, pictured here with Payne and Nicole Scherzinger in 2017, shared his words after learning of Payne’s death. Getty Images

“We reminisced about all the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad,” Cowell wrote.

“After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eye that you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.”

Cowell said he always thought of the five One Direction members as “brothers,” which was confirmed by their touching tributes to the late singer.

“Regarding their messages today I believe you were,” he wrote. “And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon. Rest In peace my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.”

Cowell, pictured here in September 2024, formed One Direction in 2010. FilmMagic

The former One Direction member died on Wednesday after he fell from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to local officials, per the Associated Press. He was 31.

Cowell, 65, played a significant role in Payne’s life since he created One Direction in 2010.

Payne auditioned for “The X Factor” as a solo singer during Season 7 of the UK singing competition series before Cowell suggested he form a group with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

One Direction took third place in the series, but Cowell still signed the group to his label in 2011, and they quickly skyrocketed to fame.

Cowell encouraged Payne, Styles, Horan, Tomlinson and Malik to join forces after they all individually competed on Season 7 of “The X Factor.” PA Images via Getty Images

The group subsequently released five chart-topping studio albums before Malik left the band in 2015. Payne, Styles, Tomlinson and Horan continued to perform together before taking an indefinite hiatus the following year.

Cowell released the statement after Buenos Aires police officials confirmed Payne’s death on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Buenos Aires police said that Payne died after he had “thrown himself from the balcony of his room” and landed in the hotel courtyard.

Cowell later signed the boys, pictured here in November 2013, to his label in 2011. FilmMagic The group performed together for five years before Malik left in 2015. Getty Images

Police arrived and saw that Payne’s fall resulted in “extremely serious injuries” that were fatal.

“We arrived in time to try and revive him, but there was nothing we could do,” Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel on Wednesday.

Crescenti claimed that Payne fell around 14 meters and “suffered severe injuries that provoked his immediate death.”

Payne, pictured here in March 2024, died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday. GC Images The former One Direction member, seen here in November 2016, fell from his hotel balcony on the third floor. Getty Images

The police had come to the hotel after they received a call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

An eyewitness echoed that same sentiment to TMZ and claimed that Payne had been “acting erratic” in the lobby prior to his death.

The “Strip That Down” singer was reportedly seen smashing his laptop and was later carried back to his room.

Payne, pictured here in October 2023, was reportedly “acting erratic” prior to his death. Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal The “Night Changes” singer was previously on a trip to Argentina with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, but Cassidy left two days prior to his death. Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com/Shutterstock

It’s unclear if Payne’s death was accidental or purposeful, but police told local outlets that they’ll be conducting an autopsy.

Payne was vacationing in Argentina with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, after seeing Horan perform there on Oct. 2. Cassidy, however, left the South American country two days prior and shared a TikTok video of her returning home to Florida.

None of Payne’s fellow One Direction members have released a statement as of Wednesday, but several other celebrities reacted to Payne’s tragic death.