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'America's Got Talent' Judge Simon Cowell Is Engaged—Get to Know His Fiancée and Children
Well known as a ladies’ man, Simon Cowell has often said he never planned to marry, but now he’s put a ring on the finger of Lauren Silverman, his longtime girlfriend and the mother of his only child.
Simon proposed to Lauren during a romantic getaway in Barbados, realizing he had finally found the one, echoing the tribute he paid to her when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in August 2018.
At that time he said, “'Lauren, you’ve been my rock for the past few years. Put up with everything I put up with... My mom and dad. And they’re not here, but I have a feeling they’re looking down and now I can look over to my son Eric and say: ‘Maybe one day you’ll get one of these as well.’”
Who is Simon Cowell’s wife?
Lauren Silverman
Right now, no one. But he will have a wife soon! Simon Cowell is engaged to Lauren Silverman. The 46-year-old entrepreneur/socialite is the daughter of businessmen Steven Davies and Carole Davies. She attended Miami Country Day School then went on to Tufts University in Medford, Mass., where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She has four sisters: Nicole, Jodyne, Susan and Sarah Davis.
When did Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman get engaged?
Cowell proposed to Lauren during a romantic Barbados holiday following a 9-year romance. Simon got down on one knee in front of the couple’s then-8-year-old son, Eric, and Lauren’s son Adam, then 16, from Lauren’s first marriage to Andrew Silverman, on Christmas Eve in 2021.
“I think after everything all of us had gone through over the past two years, it has changed our lives in so many ways,” he told ET. “Family is everything and that is what I kind of took away from it.”
A source told ET, "Lauren was so surprised and didn't expect Simon to propose, because Simon previously never thought he was the marrying type. He changed his mind because he realized he had met his perfect match.”
Then the source added, “Lauren burst into happy tears when Simon proposed and said yes immediately. Lauren has been Simon’s rock and supports him unconditionally. They are both so happy and love each other so much. The proposal was a natural next step."
Related: Oops! He Did it Again! Why America's Got Talent Judge Simon Cowell Has a Cast on His Arm
How did Simon Cowell meet Lauren Silverman?
It was a scandalous beginning to a relationship because Lauren was married to real estate mogul Andrew Silverman, who allegedly was a close friend of Simon’s, when she met Simon at Barbados' Sandy Lane resort in 2004. Even though he was taken with her, Simon continued to date other women, including TV personality Terri Seymour and makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy, who he was engaged to for a year (2010-2011).
After breaking off his engagement to Mezhgan, Simon and Lauren, who was still married, began to see each other clandestinely. But when Lauren became pregnant in 2013, the couple had no choice but to go public. In 2015, Andrew filed for a divorce, citing adultery as the cause. The Silvermans had been married for 10 years.
When are Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman getting married?
The wedding date has yet to be announced.
How is Simon Cowell's wedding planning going?
Simon has said he's taking the reins with wedding planning so Parade.com asked Simon asked for an update during a press event for America's Got Talent in 2022. Have you planned bachelor parties? Have you set a date? But Simon took it all in stride and offered no details.
He told British newspaper The Sun in April 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."
The father of one added, "I don't want to have one of these ghastly wedding planners and all the arguments that happen, and who you do invite and who you don't invite. The whole thing just seems like too much hassle."
But more recently, Simon told The Sun that he had turned over wedding planning to Lauren but he did add that the wedding would be "quiet," which means just family and close friends, and limiting the number of celebrities invited.
Who is Simon Cowell's son?
Eric and Simon Cowell
Eric Cowell
Eric, named after Simon's father, was born on Feb. 14, 2014, weighing 6 pounds and 7 ounces, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, and has since become the apple of his father’s eye.
When Eric was only 2, Simon told ET, “He does remind me of me when I was younger because he knows how to try it on and how to get away with things."
These days, Simon is planning on Eric taking over his empire.
"I would do with him what my dad did,” Simon told Extra. “I would have him start as an intern, learn the job. The idea that one day he could be doing this or something similar, I would love that."
Eric has been coming to his father's shows since he was very young and Simon revealed to Parade that one of Eric's favorite acts was the Atlanta Drum Academy, because Eric is a drummer.
“He’s now decided he's going to audition for Britain's Got Talent,” Simon told Entertainment Tonight, adding, “I think he wants to be in a rock band. He loves Green Day. That's going to be total torture. I mean, of all the things I've ever done, this will probably be the hardest, because he does play drums. [He's] going to drum and sing! I went, 'Oh God, no.' ”
Recently, on the red carpet at AGT: Fantasy League, Simon talked about how as Eric grows, he's changed his parenting mindset.
"Every day you’re off to a point you can’t fake it," he says. "You’ve got to be absolutely focused because they know when you’re faking it. It’s kind of like, 'What do you want to do today?' 'I want to drive 25 miles to buy a Pokémon card.' I’m like, 'Brilliant, we’ll do it.' You’ve kind of just got to go there. It really is worth it. And it’s that, it really is."
One of the big changes that Eric has made to Simon's life is the Brit wit has slowed down to make room for family life—and he's stopped smoking.
"Don’t work on Fridays because you don’t have to," Simon also told reporters on the red carpet for AGT: Fantasy League. "Eat dinner at 5:00. Don’t take calls after 5:30. Don’t read emails after 5:30. Watch a happy movie. And stay outside. I’m not kidding about the Fridays. I don’t think anyone should be working five days a week. It’s just pointless. Do something you enjoy."
When they wed, Simon will become stepdad to Lauren’s first-born son Adam from her marriage to Andrew Silverman. Interestingly, initially, Simon was banned from seeing Adam after Andrew made it a stipulation of the divorce from Lauren. Simon was required to pay Andrew $50,000 if he went near Adam, who was 7 years old at the time.
Who else has Simon Cowell dated?
Paula Hamilton
Theirs was a teenage romance that took place in Hertfordshire in the U.K. Paula claims that when she was 16 years old, she lost her virginity to Simon, who was also a teenager.
Jackie Sinclair
Jackie is a former Page 3 model in the U.K., who dated Simon in the ‘70s, and who still remains friends with him today.
Sinitta and Simon Cowell
Sinitta
Simon dated pop star Sinitta off and on between 1985-2000. She is another of his exes he has remained friends with. The proof of that is in the fact that she is the godmother of Simon’s son, Eric.
Louise Payne
Simon began his three-year relationship with Louise in 1995. They were engaged at one point, but broke it off when Louise told Simon she wanted to start a family and he wasn’t ready.
Georgina Law
Georgina Law is another Page 3 model, who has gone on record as saying that she dated Simon for about six months.