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Simon Cowell Reveals He Visited With Liam Payne Last Year: ‘Just to Sit and Talk’
Simon Cowell recalled a special moment with Liam Payne that occurred a year before the former One Direction member’s death.
“You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a dad,” Cowell, 65, wrote in his Instagram tribute on Friday, October 18. “After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all those years ago.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Wednesday, October 16, that Payne died at age 31 in Argentina following a fall from a third-floor hotel balcony. A preliminary autopsy revealed that he died from “internal and external” hemorrhages.
Continuing his statement, Cowell revealed that he has met Payne’s 7-year-old son, Bear, whom the late singer shared with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole.
‘The X Factor UK’ Honors ‘Immensely Talented’ Liam Payne After His Death at Age 31: ‘Heartbroken’
“He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have,” Cowell added. “He will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.”
Cowell put Payne together with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form One Direction during The X Factor UK season 7 in 2010. Cowell also remembered the band in his tribute.
“I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And reading their messages today I believe you were,” he wrote. “And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon.”
Payne first auditioned for the singing competition show in 2008, and Cowell recalled turning him down.
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“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,” the music producer wrote. “A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam.”
Cowell continued: “And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.”
Following the news of Payne’s sudden passing, Cowell postponed the Britain’s Got Talent auditions on Thursday, October 17.
“Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool,” ApplauseStore, the show’s ticketing service, shared in a statement via X. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Brookfield buys U.S. single-family home portfolio in US$1 billion acquisition
The Canadian Press
January 23, 2025 1 min read
In This Article:
TORONTO — A Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.’ private real estate fund has bought a U.S. rent-to-own home platform and its portfolio of single family homes for about US$1 billion.
In a joint news release, Maymont Homes, Brookfield’s single-family home rental business, says it will take on management of Divvy Homes’ portfolio on an ongoing basis.
Divvy did not disclose how many homes Brookfield would be acquiring, but says that since it was founded it has rented to over 15,000 residents and sold homes to over 2,000 of them.
Maymont Homes says on a LinkedIn profile that it has over 10,000 homes and describes itself on its website as a “full-service acquisition, renovation, and property management company.”
Brookfield acquired a controlling stake in single-family landlord Conrex Property Management in 2020, according to Bloomberg, before changing its name to Maymont Homes.
Brookfield at the time also raised about US$300 million for a vehicle to acquire houses, while the Divvy deal involves about 3,800 single-family rentals, Bloomberg reported.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2025.
Companies in this story: (TSX:BAM)
The Canadian Press
