Simon Cowell Regrets Stealing Friend’s Wife

Apr 11, 2014

Simon Cowell perfectly fits the model of the bad guy, but doesn’t necessarily want to be known as the bad boy as well.

Though known on TV like a tell-it-like-it-is musical judge who always tries to provide brutally honest feedback, he recently expressed regret for his own off-camera behavior, namely having an extramarital affair last year.

And it wasn’t just a fling with a musical groupie, which likely could be easier to justify, since the handsome judge has a huge fan base on both sides of the Atlantic. But it was with Lauren Silverman, the wife of his friend Andrew Silverman, and their dalliance didn’t just break up their marriage, but it led to a pregnancy.

In a recent interview with Mirror, a British publication, Cowell expressed some unusual emotions for those who base our opinions of him solely on the opinions he rendered regularly on “American Idol,” “X-Factor” and “Britain’s Got Talent.”

Here, he comes across contrite and apologetic, saying he’s not proud of his behavior and the people he hurt and betrayed.

But he says he has tried to own up to the responsibility and the criticism, deal with things one day at a time and keep moving forward.

He and Lauren’s child Eric was born in February, and she divorced Andrew at the end of 2013.

Cowell also said now that he’s on the other side of the unfortunate experience, he can see the positive things it has brought to his life. Although there is more chaos in his home from a child and new wife, he says he feels more grounded and less like he’s leading some kind of abnormal celebrity life where he was always on the go and focused on shows. The new domestic situation has required him to cut back on work and focus on fun family time, something that he was missing out on.

Since he usually is known to offer suggestions following his rather tart observations, he concluded the interview with recommendations that people facing a similar situation need to accept responsibility and own up to their actions.