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Simon Cowell Told Louis Tomlinson to “Man Up” After Baby News Broke

Simon Cowell and Louis Tomlinson
Simon Cowell said he told Louis Tomlinson to man up after news broke that he is expecting his first child

Louis Tomlinson is facing one complicated chapter in the story of his life, and he turned to none other than Simon Cowell for help. The One Direction singer, who is expecting his first child, reportedly reached out to his mentor after news broke that his friend Briana Jungwirth is pregnant with his baby.

Cowell, 55, spoke to The Sun about Tomlinson’s surprising news. The American Idol alum has been in the British singer’s life since 2010, when Tomlinson placed third on the UK’s X Factor with his One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and ex-member Zayn Malik.

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“I said to him, ‘You man up,'” Cowell told The Sun of the advice he gave the father-to-be. “‘You’re fortunate because you’re in a position to be able to look after the baby and not worry too much about that.'” 

“But I also told him, ‘I’ve received bad calls in my life but this is not one of them,'” Cowell continued of his conversation with Tomlinson. “This is your business but I’m here for you.’ He didn’t kill anyone. He got someone pregnant. It happens every day all over the world. Again, Louis has got great family around him and, look, it’s a plus, not a negative.”

simon cowell and 1D
Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zane Malik, and Niall Horan of One Direction with Simon Cowell at an X Factor press conference in 2010

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As Us Weekly reported last week, Tomlinson started spending time with the now-pregnant Jungwirth after he split from his longtime girlfriend, Eleanor Calder, in March. The future parents are not in a romantic relationship at this time, but plan to raise their child together. 

“Louis didn’t expect this, but he’s excited for it now,” a source told Us when the news broke. “He’s become very close friends with Briana this year and now they are looking forward to being parents. He’s definitely going to be there and be a great dad for their baby.”

Related: PHOTOS: Louis and Eleanor's Split

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