Simon Cowell is setting the record straight.

The “American Idol” alum, 66, responded to claims that some people think he is to blame for Liam Payne’s death in October 2024 . The singer died at age 31 after falling off a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Some critics have accused Cowell of putting too much pressure on One Direction and not lending support when they became famous.

“I don’t read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself,” the music executive said while on the “Rolling Stone Music Now” podcast . “The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that.”

Cowell first met Payne on his series, the “X Factor,” in 2010 when the artist auditioned for the show. He rejected him from the show

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