Simon Cowell burst into tears at Liam Payne’s funeral on Wednesday. The record executive who helped create One Direction shared an emotional hug with the late singer’s parents outside St. Mary’s Church in Amersham, England.

Heartbroken Simon Cowell shares an emotional hug with Liam Payne’s parents

The America’s Got Talent judge attended Payne’s last rites with his fiancée, Lauren Silverman, who had a somber look on her face as she shared his grief. A visibly heartbroken Cowell buried his head in Payne’s father Geoff’s shoulder as he kept his arm around the Strip That Down hitmaker’s mother, Karen.

As the trio shared an emotional moment, Silverman watched with her hand on her chest as she stood behind them. While the ceremony was private, a host of A-listers, including One Direction members – Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, gathered as Payne was laid to rest.

In addition to Cowell, who played a crucial role in Payne’s career by founding the famous boy band, James Corden and Scott Mills were also in attendance. The Teardrops singer’s ex Cheryl Cole, mother of his seven-year-old son Bear, also appeared alongside her Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh.

Notably, Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who was with him in Buenos Aires just days before his death, was among the first to arrive, as reported by the Independent. Wearing all black, the London-based influencer arrived with Elizabeth Hurley’s son, Damian Hurley.

Payne’s funeral took place more than a month after he fell from a hotel balcony in the capital Buenos Aires on October 16. (Read more: How Did Liam Payne Die? Autopsy Reveals…) Following news of his shocking death, Cowell took to social media to pay tribute to Payne. “I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I shed is a memory of you,” he wrote on Instagram.