Simon Cowell Suffered Yet Another Scary Bike Accident. Here's What We Know
For the second time in just 18 months, the famed record executive and "America's Got Talent" star Simon Cowell has been involved in a serious accident while riding an electric bike.
Speaking to The Sun, a source revealed that Cowell had been riding his e-bike with the motor on around his West London neighborhood. While going through a wet area of the pavement, the TV judge made a sharp turn and skidded on a slippery spot, sending him tumbling over the handlebars. "Stupidly, Simon wasn't wearing a helmet, and blood was pouring from his face — he looked like something from Phantom of the Opera," said the insider. Some good Samaritans who saw the crash ran into the street to divert traffic away from the injured celeb until an ambulance arrived.
Cowell was rushed to the hospital with a suspected concussion and a fractured left arm. Hours later, he was photographed leaving the scene sporting a full-length yellow arm cast. His 7-year-old son Eric, whom he shares with fiancée Lauren Silverman, had already decorated the cast with his name and a drawing of the family's two dogs.
Cowell had been in London to complete filming on the latest season of "Britain's Got Talent." However, this was hardly the wrap party he was hoping for.
Simon Cowell was nearly paralyzed in his last accident
In August 2020, Simon Cowell was involved in a similar e-bike accident in which he severely broke his back. In that instance, he was riding around his own property in Malibu, via TMZ.
As Cowell told the "TODAY" show months later, "When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn't [have] been able to walk." It didn't help that instead of lying at the crash site and waiting for professional help to arrive, Cowell let himself "kind of get carried into my bedroom" until help arrived, by which time he was virtually immobilized. It took a 6-hour surgery and intensive physical therapy for four weeks before he was mobile again and able to return to work.
With characteristic dry humor, Cowell shared a message to his fans on social media: "Some good advice...If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time. i have broken part of my back. Thanks to everyone for your kind messages."
The talent expert will be following another bit of important advice going forward. The anonymous source told The Sun that "Simon insists he's not ditching the bike — but he will start wearing a helmet." Let's hope he does. According to Bicycles.org, in New York City alone, 74% of fatal bike crashes involved head injuries, and an overwhelming 97% of those fatalities were riders without helmets.