Former “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell and his fiancée Lauren Silverman had a highly publicized start to their relationship after news broke in 2013 that Silverman was pregnant with Cowell’s first child while still married to her husband, Andrew Silverman.
Though Silverman found herself at the center of intense media attention because of her romance and pregnancy, she largely avoided the spotlight. The couple would later welcome their son, Eric Cowell, on February 14, 2014.
Now, over a decade later, Silverman is reflecting on that tumultuous period, calling it “the hardest times of my life” while admitting she had no regrets about how everything turned out.
Lauren Silverman Opens up About Backlash After Getting Pregnant With Simon Cowell’s Son
GettyLauren Silverman faced intense public scrutiny in 2013 when it was confirmed that she was pregnant with “America’s Got Talent” judge Simon Cowell’s child. The socialite was married to her then-husband, Andrew Silverman, at the time of the discovery, but the couple later filed for divorce.
Now, in a conversation with Giovanna Fletcher on her “Happy Mum” podcast, Silverman is breaking her silence about that “awful” time in her life.
“There are so many emotions that went with that, because it was the end of my marriage, obviously,” she told the host. “It was one of the hardest times of my life, because — I don’t want to say regretful, because I don’t regret anything — do I wish it had happened a different way … of course I do,” she said.
Silverman shared that she ultimately saw a silver lining despite the negative press that surrounded their relationship. “But I think everything happens for a reason. It was just one of those moments where I knew it was right and that was what I wanted and that Simon was the person I wanted to spend my life with. And so, however we got there, I just believed that it was meant to be,” she added.
Because of the backlash she faced, Silverman shared that she “didn’t get to experience the joy” of being pregnant and, rather, “kept my head down” for “a really long time” until the press moved on to a different scandal.
“[I was] in fight or flight mode because there was so much interest in what was happening … I was just trying not to fall apart,” Lauren said, adding, “Everywhere I went … it was just the way that people would look at me. I was on the cover of every magazine and there were news stories about it … it was just awful.”
Silverman Shares How Her Relationship With Her Ex-Husband Is Like Today
GettyIn the podcast episode, Silverman also opened up about navigating a divorce from her first husband, which she described as a “terrible” situation at the time. Silverman and her then-husband are also parents to a son named Adam Silverman.
“When I got divorced … it wasn’t a great situation at all. It was terrible,” she shared. However, it appears that they are now on better terms, with Silverman stating, “I feel really proud to say that … we are many years past that point. My ex and I, we do have a very nice relationship.”
“As much as I wish I could go back and take away the hurt and take away the pain that it caused for my ex-husband and for Adam … it happened,” she explained.
According to People, when it was confirmed that Silverman was pregnant with Cowell’s son, her then-husband released a statement that read, “My top priority is protecting my 7-year-old son while working to resolve all outstanding issues with my wife. Hopefully people can respect the interest of our child during this process.”
In her own statement, Silverman shared, “I am committed to sorting things out with Andrew as amicably as possible to ensure the well-being of our son. I would hope for some space and privacy in order to work through this.”
Silverman and Cowell have moved on from their past controversy and have a wedding to plan after Cowell proposed to Silverman on Christmas Eve in 2021. Cowell shared with The Sun in 2022, “I am planning it all, otherwise I know what will happen — there will be 600 people and it’ll get out of control, like my 50th birthday party. No one knows when it’s going to be — that’ll be a surprise, even for Lauren.”
