The 65-year-old X Factor producer was photographed being embraced by his parents during the throng of celebrities who attended 31-year-old Liam’s final farewell on Wednesday following his death on October 16 from a balcony fall in Argentina.
According to the Daily Mail, Simon tried to console Geoff and Karen when he gave them the embrace. Outside of St. Mary’s Church in Amersham, south-east England, where Liam was buried following a heartfelt service, photos showed the three of them holding hands.
According to the Mail, Simon shared a private moment with the grieving couple while his 47-year-old longtime partner Lauren Silverman stood aside.
It went on to say that as a last tribute to the musician, Liam’s parents placed a bouquet of flowers that said “son” next to his coffin.
On the 2010 season of his ITV show “The X Factor,” Simon launched One Direction to fame after the band was formed.
The burial was attended by Liam’s bandmates Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, as well as Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, 41, who dated Payne from 2016 to 2018 and has a seven-year-old son named Bear.
Liam died on October 16 after falling 45 feet from his suite’s third-floor balcony while on vacation at the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires.
His 25-year-old actress girlfriend Kate Cassidy stayed with him until two days before his unexpected death, when she departed to go back to her American home.
She was also present at the funeral with Damian Hurley, the 22-year-old son of actress Elizabeth Hurley, 59.
A white horse-drawn hearse carrying Liam’s remains arrived for his funeral. Outside the church where he was buried, there was a wreath that read “Daddy” and flower tributes from his parents and son Bear.
The late music star’s admirers also honored Liam by laying mementos in London’s Hyde Park and Wolverhampton, the city where he was born.