Simon Cowell, who played an integral role in the rise of One Direction in the early 2010s, has issued a statement expressing condolences regarding Liam Payne’s death. “You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,

Simon Cowell shared his reaction to the death of One Direction's Liam Payne, whose career was kickstarted when Cowell was a judge on the U.K.'s The X Factor. "You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens.

"X-Factor" creator Simon Cowell broke his silence on the death of his former protege and One Direction singer Liam Payne.