Simon Cowell, the former The X Factor judge who pieced together One Direction, has been slammed online following the death of Liam Payne. 

The pop star died on Wednesday after falling off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had been there to attend former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.

After the news broke, fans were quick to accuse Simon of his previous tensions with Liam, from an X thread known as #JusticeForLiam — which said the TV personality focused on profits made by his artists, rather than the well-being of their mental health. 

Simon Cowell has been facing backlash after Liam Payne’s sudden death, as the X hashtag #JusticeForLiam trends

Image credits: Dave Hogan / Getty

My heart is completely torn to shreds right now, I am at an absolute loss for words. If Simon Cowell dare put a statement out on the heart wrenching, tragic loss of my dear and darling friend Liam, he would be a fool. We all know the truth… and I’ll be sure it all comes out.…

— Katie Waissel (@katiewaissel24) October 16, 2024

Because Simon was a massive part in how One Direction was managed, fans have pointed fingers at the The X Factor judge for mistreating the 31-year-old into addiction.

In an Instagram post from one week ago, Simon shared a video of himself, captioning it, “Happy birthday to me! Thank you for all of your kind messages. Love, Simon.”

His comment section has since been flooded with accusations from the past 24 hours.

Image credits: Simon Cowell

“You better not even mention his name,” said one person.

“Totally guilty, the damage you did to those children is unspeakable. Liam left because of you. The industry is bad and it’s sh–t,” another wrote.

Someone else said, “IT’S ON YOU,” while one user stated, “It’s your fault.” 

Many claim that Simon played a role in many of Liam’s struggles during his One Direction days and even after the band broke up in 2016 

Image credits: David M. Benett / Getty

In a conversation with Men’s Health Australia in 2019, Liam shared that the group’s fast rise into the spotlight had a disorienting effect, and left him feeling isolated at times. He frequently resorted to alcohol as a way to deal with the pressure, which he said was detrimental to his mental health.

“When you’re doing hundreds and hundreds of [concerts] and it’s the same 22 songs at the same time every single day, even if you’re not happy, you’ve got to go out there,” he said.

Liam later added, “We had an absolute blast but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic.”

Image credits: liampayne

When Liam signed with Universal Label Capitol instead of Syco — the label Simon expected the star to continue with — back in 2019, the TV judge told The Sun he wasn’t happy.

“It is a bit annoying if I am honest with you — mainly because it is a another label who has now got your artist who you worked with for so many years,” he said. 

“But that is the music business, unfortunately. I don’t think anyone else from the band will do that.” 

Simon has not released a statement regarding the singer’s death but The X Factor took to social media to react

Image credits: Dave M. Benett / Getty

While Simon has yet to comment on the incident, The X Factor wrote, “We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne. He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.

“Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and all who loved him.” 

Simon Cowell additionally postponed Britain’s Got Talent auditions in light of the news.

ApplauseStore, which manages the tickets to the show, said on X, “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

“Justice for Liam. We love him still.”

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