Cowell Defends Eye-Roll at VA Tech Tribute

Killjoy judge says he didn't mean to disrespect victims
By Greg Atwan,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 20, 2007 12:56 PM CDT
Cowell Defends Eye-Roll at VA Tech Tribute
American Idol Final Competition Broadcast From Universal Studios    (Getty Images)

Notorious wet blanket Simon Cowell insists he was not rolling his eyes at a contestant's tribute to the Virginia Tech victims during Tuesday's "American Idol." What viewers saw, the blunt British judge says, was a reaction to the performance, not the remarks, of "Idol" hopeful Chris Richardson.

The grimace, highlighted by Drudge, generated enough controversy for Bill O'Reilly to come to Cowell's defense: "You have a culture now where you just tear famous people to pieces. It's a national sport," O'Reilly said. Cowell said he "may not be the nicest person in the world,” but he’d “never disrespect those families or victims."













(More American Idol stories.)

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