Strange Things About Simon Cowell's Relationship

Simon Cowell and his girlfriend, socialite Lauren Silverman, appear to be hopelessly devoted to each other, but their relationship has been anything but picture-perfect. The X Factor and American Idol host has been very open about his messy love life, including the regrets he has about the way he and Silverman met, fell in love, and conceived their adorable son, Eric. Here are some of the strange stories about this high-profile couple that suggest their relationship is no fairy tale. 

The only reason Cowell and Silverman were forced to go public with their relationship was because they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. 

Cowell shocked the world when he announced he was having a baby with Silverman, who just so happened to be his friend's wife! If that's not bad enough, Cowell was pictured vacationing on a yacht with Silverman and her then-husband before news of their affair leaked.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Silverman's ex-father-in-law, Stewart Eisenberg, said Silverman cheated on her husband because he was too busy working away from home and traveling. She became a "bored housewife," Eisenberg said, claiming "she was lonely and you 'can't put a credit card under your arm when you go out to dinner.'"  

Silverman reportedly lived a charmed life when she was married to the real estate mogul, but it wasn't enough to keep her committed to him. According to Us Weekly, Cowell and Silverman had been having an affair for four years before Silverman became pregnant.

Andrew felt so betrayed by Cowell that he labeled the TV host a cheating homewrecker and a co-respondent in his divorce petition, according to TMZ.

Following her messy divorce in 2013, Silverman signed a settlement that included some harsh penalties. According to TMZ, she agreed to receive $3,000 a month in child support for her son, Adam, who was 7-years-old at the time. Her ex-husband also made sure Cowell didn't come anywhere near his child. If Cowell broke the terms of the agreement, he would be hit with a $50,000 penalty. Silverman also agreed to a "stay-away" clause to keep Adam away from Cowell. If she broke the clause three times, she would be forced to forfeit all contact with her son.

Thankfully for Cowell and Silverman, the clause was set to expire in January 2015, allowing them to begin bonding as a blended family.

Most people prefer to leave their exes in the past, but not Cowell. Even though he can't stop gushing about how much he loves Silverman, he still keeps his former flames close by.

In 2014, Cowell, Silverman, and his exes: Sinitta, a British-American singer; and TV personality Terri Seymour all vacationed together on a yacht off the coast of St. Barts, according to the New York Post. According to Cowell's friends, Silverman wasn't fond of Sinitta, but she has learned to accept that her "flamboyant presence in [Cowell's] life is non-negotiable." In fact, it looks like Sinitta won't be going anywhere anytime soon, especially since she announced in a since-deleted tweet (via Hello magazine) that Cowell asked her to be Eric's godmother.

In August 2017, Cowell and Silverman vacationed again, but this time, they hit up Los Cabos, Mexico. And guess who was right by their side as they lounged by a pool? Seymour! Though Cowell and Seymour's relationship ended eight years prior, according to the Daily Mail, Seymour has remained a permanent fixture in his life.

Some will say Cowell's the man for surrounding himself with a bevy of beautiful women from his past and present, buy we think all the praise should go to Silverman. She has to be one secure and tough cookie to not mind having her partner's exes in her life!

After wooing his friend's wife and having a child with her, Cowell did the unthinkable. In June 2014, just four months after Silverman gave birth to their son, Cowell purchased a home just a few blocks from Silverman's ex-husband, according to the Mirror.

Cowell and Silverman reportedly fell in love with the $8 million home in the Upper East Side of Manhattan as soon as they laid eyes on it, and the fact that it was right down the street from Silverman's ex-husband seemed to be an added bonus. A source said, "[Silverman] wanted to be near her eldest son to be able to see him whenever she can."

We can just imagine how tense things get when these three bump into each other at the local Whole Foods. Can you say awkward?

Before giving birth to their son in February 2014, Cowell whisked Silverman away on a babymoon, only to leave her by herself the majority of the time, according to the New York Post.

Most babymoons are used as a time for the expectant parents to reconnect and enjoy some peace and quiet before their bundle of joy arrives, but Cowell apparently had other plans. He reportedly rented a 200-foot yacht for the holiday and invited his exes, Sinitta and Seymour, as well as Silverman's son from her previous marriage, her parents, and her sister. During their stop in Barbados, Silverman supposedly stayed at a hotel up the road from Cowell's apartment, where he was allegedly partying non-stop.

Since Cowell was unable to have contact with Silverman's son at the time, the separate arrangements seemed to work out for the couple, but witnesses couldn't help but think the entire trip was a bit odd. When it was time for Silverman to see Cowell, she reportedly "paced the lobby [of the hotel] and talked about needing to meet her 'appointment,'" the New York Post reported. Cowell would then allegedly send a taxi for her, and 90 minutes later, she would be dropped back off at the hotel to reportedly spend more time with her family while Cowell was free to party on his own.

They've come a long way since the start of their sordid love affair, but Cowell still regrets the way their romance began.

In an interview with the Mirror, Cowell revealed he was holed up in his Los Angeles home in 2013, trying to find a way to make his UK show X Factor a hit in America. The stress was taking a toll on him, and that's when news about the affair and Silverman's pregnancy made headlines around the world and flipped his life upside down.

When asked about sleeping with Silverman while she was still married to his friend, Cowell confessed, "I regret that part... But then of course you have a baby and you look at the baby and you kinda go 'this is what happened from it.' In this situation you are not going to come out of this well because of the circumstances."

But he's not going to let the affair ruin the rest of his life, although he realizes he made a huge mistake. Cowell even had some advice for people in similar situations: "All I can say is...if it happens to you, you just have to deal with it a day at a time and own up to your responsibilities."

Wise words, Cowell.

Babe, baby, honey bun, sugar muffin, and bae all have a nice ring when directed at someone you love. Apparently, none of these common terms of endearment tickled Silverman's fancy.

After a fun dinner with TV host Piers Morgan, Silverman revealed her secret nickname for Cowell. Morgan later tweeted about it and wrote, "Fun dinner with @SimonCowell and the delightful Lauren. So pleased to discover she calls him 'Dumbo.'"

We're hoping it's an affectionate way to poke fun at the size of Cowell's ears, but you never know with these two.

Silverman's friend, Tania Zuckerbrot, told the Mirror that the couple has a "very special" way of communicating with each other and a really unique relationship. "She understands his needs," Zuckerbrot said. "And he makes her laugh and vice versa. They look like two people who are best friends and ­really enjoy each other."

Although Cowell adores his son, the TV personality had an unconventional approach to parenthood during Eric's early years. According to an interview Cowell gave to Hello! magazine (via People,) the first-time dad never changed diapers or prepared bottles for his son. 

That doesn't mean Cowell was anything less than a devoted father, though. "I never expected to be a father, but I love it," he said. "Eric makes me laugh. He and I communicate very well because we basically like the same things—Scooby Doo, Disney movies, laughing at the dogs."

Is the world ready for a mini-version of Cowell, complete with a blunt and off-hand sense of humor? We'll have to wait and see. 

No relationship is perfect, and it's expected that a couple will have a disagreement from time to time. Cowell and Silverman are no different, but instead of admitting they face problems just like everyone else, these two prefer to deny, deny, deny!

In 2013, the Daily Mail spotted Cowell and Silverman in the midst of what appeared to be a heated argument. The couple was spotted in a vehicle in New York City looking less than loving. They later insisted they were simply "laughing and talking" during their discussion.

In 2016, the couple was photographed once again in the middle of a seemingly heated debate. The Sun published photos of Silverman confronting Cowell over who knows what. Although she wore dark shades during their disagreement, her body language and facial expression suggested Cowell had most likely ticked her off.

We don't expect them to share every detail of their relationship with the world, but is it so hard to cop to dealing with regular problems that normal couples face?

Finances can be the root of many problems in a relationship, and Cowell is reportedly determined to make sure money issues don't come between him and Silverman.

After moving into Cowell's London home, a source told the Mirror that Silverman had fallen in love with shopping and purchasing lavish gifts for their son, so during a December 2015 charity event in London, Cowell allegedly decided it was time to nip Silverman's shopping addiction in the bud!

He reportedly bid more than $4,000 for treatment by celebrity hypnotist Paul McKenna to cure Silverman's shopaholic tendencies. The treatment seemed to be a surprise present for Silverman, as Cowell allegedly told a guest his partner wasn't even "aware" of his quest to put her under hypnosis.