Simon Cowell was on Thursday sensationally named in divorce papers filed by his married lover Lauren Silverman’s husband Andrew, as his brother blasted the music mogul for his ‘betrayal’.
Alexander Silverman insisted that news of Lauren’s pregnancy constituted a breach of trust by Cowell, as he had been close friends with both Lauren and millionaire casino owner Andrew.
He told the New York Post: ‘It is an unbelievable story of betrayal. It is a sad story and a tragic story.’
Alexander’s comments came as it was reported that Andrew had made the unusual choice to name Cowell as a co-respondent in the divorce papers he filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court two weeks ago, citing adultery as the reason for ending the marriage.
The decision, widely regarded as a means to embarrass both the mogul and Andrew’s estranged wife, means that Cowell is likely to be called to the witness stand to reveal not only details of the alleged affair with Lauren but also details of his personal finances, estimated to be in the region of $350million.
Noted divorce attorney Martha Cohen Stine said of Andrew’s decision: ‘It’s really a signal to the spouse who cheated that the wronged spouse is very angry and that it’s going to be a very nasty, scorched-earth, high-profile litigation.’
No evidence has been revealed so far to suggest that Cowell and Lauren’s affair started before the marriage began to fall apart.
Cowell maintained a stony silence on the subject as he was pictured for the first time since the pregnancy revelations while leaving a television studios in Los Angeles after filming The X Factor USA on Wednesday night.
Wearing a grey top and jeans, Cowell, who is said to be ‘freaked out’ by the news he is to become a father for the first time, remained silent as he was quizzed about the baby news, but did not deny the reports.
It is understood that Cowell has hired tough Los Angeles-based lawyer Marty Singer to help him handle the crisis, described by friends as being of gargantuan proportions.
While Cowell is said to accept that the baby, due next February, is his, the news of 36-year-old Lauren’s pregnancy came as a huge shock to both Simon and his closest female friends including Sinitta and ex fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy – otherwise known as his ‘harem’.
On Wednesday, a friend close to Cowell claimed: ‘Simon is in no doubt the child is his. Simon is [said to be] freaked out by this but there is no question that he will not support the child.
‘In the harem hierarchy, Lauren is regarded as the fun, party girl. The other girls have all met her, they know who she is and they have been reduced to tears by this.’
While news of the pregnancy only broke on Wednesday, Cowell has been attempting to deal with the drastic change to his life over the past few months, with friends saying he has been struggling to stay on top of both his personal life drama and his various work commitments. The friend added: ‘Simon has been very stressed in the last few months with his various shows and juggling everything that he has in his life.’ Carmen Electra, who was linked to Cowell late last year and in early 2013, said she was ‘so happy’ for her former beau as she spoke to reporters at the VH1 Do Something Awards in Hollywood on Wednesday night.
She told E! News: ‘What I witnessed working with him on Britain’s Got Talent and coming to see him during X Factor is that the people he truly believes in, he stands up for them and supports them. So I obviously think that his child will be very well taken care and very, very loved.
‘I’m going to call him as soon as I get in the car after the event. I want to know if it’s a boy or a girl. It’s awesome, I’m super happy for him.’
