Simon Cowell Stands Behind One Direction

Simon Cowell isn’t letting a little marijuana get between him and One Direction.

By this point you’ve probably heard something about Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson’s encounter with the devil’s lettuce. The scandal that ensued was fairly intense, particularly among those who thought the singers were the poster children for innocence.

One person who doesn’t think the group is quickly going off the proverbial rails is Simon Cowell. Despite getting caught on video partaking in some left-handed cigarettes, Cowell isn’t too worried about One Direction. In fact, Simon sees this as nothing more than a minor speed bump in their quest for world domination.

“What I can say is that they’re the hardest-working boys I’ve ever worked with. They still haven’t changed. They’re really respectful of their fans [and] they’re a great British export… they’ve been a joy to work with,” Cowell recently told Digital Spy.

He added, “I’ve worked with a lot of artists in the past who do lose the plot, who do lose respect for their fans, they’ve never done that.”

If you’re hoping for an in-depth analysis from Simon Cowell about the marijuana scandal, then you’re out of luck. According to the Daily Mail, the One Direction mastermind views the whole situation as a “private matter.” Cowell added that he hopes fans don’t jump ship because of Malik and Tomlinson’s decision to get lifted.

Simon isn’t the only one who’s sticking by his boys. The Inquisitr previously reported that Liam Payne issued an apology on behalf of his bandmates. Although it’s obvious that he’s not too thrilled about their carelessness, he’s obviously got their back.

Payne explained:

“I love my boys and maybe things have gone a little sideways I apologize for that. We are only in our 20?s we all do stupid things at this age. We all have a lot of growing up to do in an extreme circumstance I’m not making excuse but it’s fact we are gonna fall short somewhere. Hopefully we stand the test of time and get it right in the end I don’t take this for granted and I’m extremely grateful to be here doing this. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us through this just know that we love you guys for it and it means the world.”

Are you surprised that Simon Cowell is standing behind One Direction? Do you think the marijuana scandal will ultimately tarnish their image?

[Image via Mobo]