Simon Cowell shared an emotional moment with Liam Payne's parents at a private funeral held for the late pop star on Wednesday. Payne was remembered after his tragic death at 31, with Cowell, 65, who formed One Direction on 'The X Factor,' in attendance. In one photograph, the music mogul embraces Geoff and Karen Payne as the grieving father wraps his arm tightly around Cowell.

A second image showed Cowell wiping his eyes as Geoff placed his hand on the 'AGT' judge's back. Cowell was also pictured looking somber while walking hand in hand with his fiancée, Lauren Silverman. Payne's former One Direction bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles were also present at the Amersham, England, memorial service.

Last month, Cowell broke his silence on Payne's death, penning an emotional message to the fallen star. 'You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,' he wrote on Instagram. 'Liam, I am 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.'

Cowell first met Payne on 'The X Factor' in 2010 when Payne auditioned for the show. The British personality went on to reflect on having to reject him from the show when he initially auditioned at 14. '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. A lot of people would have given up. You didn't,' Cowell continued. '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.'

Cowell would later put Payne together with Malik, 31; Styles, 30; Horan, 31; and Tomlinson, 32; to form the iconic boy band. Though the group placed only third on Season 7, they went on to become a sensation, with five studio albums, four world tours, and a slew of awards.

Payne died instantly of massive internal and external injuries when he took his fatal fall from his hotel balcony, with experts at the time telling The Post that the singer appeared unconscious as he plummeted to the courtyard below. Medical officials confirmed that the star had a 'cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.'

Source link:   https://nypost.com