By REBECCA DAVISON FOR MAILONLINE

Published: 13:05 GMT, 14 February 2025 | Updated: 13:05 GMT, 14 February 2025

Simon Cowell is said to have ‘sobbed’ uncontrollably after being told of Liam Payne’s death aged 31. 

The X Factor mogul’s best friend Sinitta, 61, detailed how Simon, 65, reacted to Liam’s passing in October, when the One Direction star fell to his death from the third floor balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires.

Sinitta told The Sun: ‘He was absolutely devastated. I spoke to Simon, obviously it was a private conversation, but he usually contains his emotions, he’s quite stoic isn’t he, but he was absolutely gone.

‘Just holding the phone, he was just sobbing. It’s the first time in my life I thought “well we normally come to you when we don’t know what to do,” but he was absolutely devastated.

‘They were like his babies. He went on this journey with them, he was part of it – he was almost the sixth member.’

Simon Cowell ‘cried uncontrollably’ when Liam Payne died as his best friend says he wasn’t to blame for One Direction star’s death because ‘he was a grown man and you can’t bubble wrap everyone’  (Pictured: Simon Cowell and Liam Payne)

Pictured left to right: Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Simon Cowell, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik on set during One Direction celebrates 1D Day at YouTube Space LA  in 2013

Pictured left to right: Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Simon Cowell, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik on set during One Direction celebrates 1D Day at YouTube Space LA  in 2013

Sinitta said that fan criticism over Simon’s involvement in Liam’s troubled life has been ‘unfair’ 

She said that while people have said Simon should have done more to help, he wasn’t to blame for Liam’s untimely death, saying: Liam was a grown man and ‘you can’t bubble wrap everyone.’ 

Simon rleased a touching tribute to Liam on Instagram after ehe died describing him as 'kind, funny and talented

Simon rleased a touching tribute to Liam on Instagram after ehe died describing him as ‘kind, funny and talented

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Simon Cowell ‘cried uncontrollably’ when Liam Payne died but wasn’t to blame for One Direction star’s death because ‘he was a grown man and you can’t bubble wrap everyone’

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