Lauren Silverman: who is Simon Cowell’s future wife, when did they get engaged, and do they have children?

Simon Cowell proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Silverman at the end of last year, who gave birth to their seven year old son Eric on Valentine’s Day in 2014.

This is everything you need to know about their relationship - including the controversial way they first got together.

Who is Lauren Silverman?

Lauren Silverman is an American socialite who has kept her life largely private, with no social media accounts either.

In the past, Silverman has been photographed by the paparazzi with the likes of Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, actress Sofia Vergara and supermodel Heidi Klum.

She is the daughter of real estate developers Steven Davis and Carole Eisenberg.

The 44-year-old is 18 years younger than her longtime partner Simon Cowell.

Prior to her relationship with Cowell, Silverman was married to her first husband, Andrew Silverman, with whom she shares a son, Adam.

When did Simon Cowell propose?

According to a source speaking to People, Cowell and Silverman got engaged on Christmas Eve in Barbados.

The couple reportedly went for a walk together, and Cowell surprised Silverman by proposing on the beach. Their seven year old son Eric, and Silverman’s eldest son, 16-year-old Adam, were both present during the proposal.

The source said: “They are both super happy. They’ve been together for a long time now and adore each other so it’s not a huge surprise to their close friends.”

Reps for both Silverman and Cowell have separately confirmed the engagement.

Reacting to the news, Cowell’s fellow Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden joked that she is “probably as shocked as Lauren!”

Speaking during her Heart Breakfast radio show, Holden said: “Simon said he would never get married, and obviously Lauren has been by his side and you know they’ve been through so much together, and I think she’s the one, but I don’t know if she ever thought he would put a ring on it!”

She added: “And then last night we all got the text saying “it’s happening” and we couldn’t believe it, and I knew it would be in the papers today if we got the text last night. So I was like: ‘Oh my goodness!’”

Asked by her co-host Jamie Theakston if the wedding will happen this year, she said: “I would love to think so. I’m literally messaging them as we speak, going: ‘Do I need to book flights to Barbados because I want to get in before the prices go up, let me know.’

“Also I’ve got to book time off work, I’ve got to get a hat. I’m thinking: ‘Who’s going to look after the kids? Are the kids invited, now come on!’”

How did they meet - and how long have they been together?

Silverman and Cowell first met back in 2004, when Silverman was still married to her first husband, real estate mogul Andrew Silverman, who was a good friend of Cowell’s.

Cowell went on to date other women, including entertainment journalist Terri Seymour, and was engaged to makeup artist Mazhgan Hussainy from 2010 to 2011 - but later called this engagement a “big mistake”.

Cowell and Silverman got together in secret whilst she was still married to her husband, but after Silverman became pregnant in 2013 with Cowell, the two were forced to reveal their relationship.

In 2013, after a number of sources confirmed to publications that Silverman was expecting a baby with Cowell, the Silvermans filed for divorce not long afterwards.

Cowell spoke to the Mirror in 2014, where he confirmed that the pair had had an affair whilst Silverman was still married.

He said: “It is not something I am proud of or wanted to happen in terms of hurting anyone. It just happened.

“You have to deal with it and man up to it. You have to accept the responsibility and the criticism.

“All I can say is, my advice to you is if it happens to you, you just have to deal with it a day at a time and own up to your responsibilities.”

In 2014, Silverman gave birth to their son, Eric on Valentines Day, 14 February. Speaking about his son on The Kelly Clarkson Show in May last year, Simon said: “I just cannot imagine my life without him.

“He’s the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. I adore him.”

When he was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018, Cowell called Silverman his “rock”.

Silverman also supported Cowell after he broke his back in 2020 following an accident with an electric bike. Cowell had to undergo a five hour surgery, and had metal rods placed in his back.

Speaking about the procedure with Extra, Cowell said: “I was so embarrassed about coming home looking about 100 [years old] because I couldn’t walk and I have these metal rods in my back and these screws.

“I said, “Lauren, I just don’t know how to explain it to [Eric]”, she obviously said something to him because he came in… and I was lying in bed and he said, “Daddy, you’re like Ironman,” and I thought that was the sweetest thing and it meant a lot.”

In a 2021 interview with OK! Magazine, Cowell spoke about his relationship with Silverman and their time spent together during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “Covid-19 was the real test. Like everyone, we were in lockdown for a long time and that’s when you realise whether or not you actually enjoy each other’s company or not. And we really did.

“So to answer your question, yes, the romance is still alive. We’re closer than ever.”

A message from the editor:Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.