Louis Tomlinson sticks up for Simon Cowell after he was criticised following Liam Payne’s death

The One Direction star fell to his death from the third floor balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires in October of 2024, aged 31.

Simon faced backlash after his passing, with X Factor’s Katie Waissel declaring ‘we all know the truth’ and Rebecca Ferguson criticising the ‘exploitation and profiteering of young stars’.

Katie, a singer-songwriter who auditioned alongside Liam on the 2010 series of X Factor, name-checked Simon in two statements in which she accused music bosses of focusing on ‘profits rather than people’.

But Liam’s bandmate Louis has said he believes the adults who worked with One Direction during their rise to fame as teenagers did a good job.

‘Look, in any situation similar to this, hindsight is a really powerful thing. I don’t blame anyone for my experience in One Direction,’ he told The Independent.

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Louis Tomlinson has stuck up for Simon Cowell after he was criticised by One Direction fans following the death of Liam Payne

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Simon faced backlash after Liam’s passing, with Katie Waissel declaring ‘we all know the truth’ and Rebecca Ferguson criticising the ‘exploitation and profiteering of young stars’

Louis added that the hardest thing about being in One Direction was having to deal with sudden fame at such a young age.

‘But what was really challenging, more than any of those things, was being young and really famous and having people outside the hotels.

‘If you wanted to just go and get a coffee… even wanting to go for a s*** and having to walk [there] with your security. It’s dehumanising, those kinds of things.’

Simon was said to have ‘sobbed’ uncontrollably after being told of Liam’s death.

His friend 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.’

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

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Liam’s bandmate Louis has said he believes the adults who worked with One Direction during their rise to fame as teenagers did a good job

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‘Look, in any situation similar to this, hindsight is a really powerful thing. I don’t blame anyone for my experience in One Direction,’ he said (Simon and One Direction pictured in 2013)

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 met Liam when he auditioned for X Factor for the very first time at the age of 14.

And upon learning of his death, Simon released a touching tribute to the ‘kind, funny and talented’, pop star, who ‘never forgot the fans’.

He wrote: ‘You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens.

‘Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. 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.

‘This is so difficult to put in words right now. 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.

‘I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again.

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Sinitta said Simon was ‘absolutely devastated’ following Liam’s death

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

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Simon met Liam when he auditioned for X Factor for the very first time at the age of 14

‘A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam.

‘And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.

‘You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together.

‘And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all of those years ago.

He continued: ‘I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have.

‘And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.

‘I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And reading their messages today I believe you were.

‘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. Simon X’.