Simon Cowell was seen having a fun holiday weekend with his son Eric and partner Lauren Silverman, a short time after it was reported that he hired new legal representation in the ongoing America’s Got Talent investigation. NBC kicked off an investigation into the show’s workplace environment after reports of Gabrielle Union‘s complaints surfaced. Union was fired from the show late last month after serving as a judge for only one season.
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On Sunday, Closer Weekly published new photos of Cowell and Silverman at a winter-themed carnival with 5-year-old Eric. Another picture showed Silverman and Eric having fun on a slope in a snow tube. They also had fun on a toy double-decker bus.
Cowell and Silverman have been together since 2013 and welcomed Eric a year later. Silverman also has a son, Adam, with her ex-husband, Andrew Silverman.
“He’s madly in love with his son,” a source told Closer Weekly in 2018 of Cowell’s relationship with Eric. “And he’ll openly tell his friends his intense feeling he has for Eric. He’s turned into a big softie with him.”
While Cowell was having fun with his son, Variety reported on Saturday that Cowell hired new legal representation to advise him on NBC’s AGT investigation. Cowell reportedly hired veteran Hollywood litigator Larry Stein.
Late last month, NBC revealed that Union and Julianne Hough would not be returning for another season on AGT. A few days later, reports surfaced that Union complained about a “toxic” work environment. She reportedly complained about Cowell’s indoor smoking and objected to a racist joke Jay Leno made during filming. Union and Hough also reportedly received several notes on their looks throughout the season.
On Wednesday, Union and NBC met to discuss the issues. Cowell was not in attendance, as he was filming a new episode of The X-Factor in London.
“We had a lengthy 5-hour, and what I thought to be, productive meeting yesterday,” Union tweeted. “I was able to, again, express my unfiltered truth. I led with transparency and my desire and hope for real change.”
“The initial conversation was candid and productive,” NBC added in its own statement. “While there will be a further investigation to get a deeper understanding of the facts, we are working with Gabrielle to come to a positive resolution.”
It’s not clear who will replace Union and Hough for next summer’s AGT season. They were hired to replace Mel B and Heidi Klum. Cowell, Howie Mandel and host Terry Crews are expected to return in 2020.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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