NEWSSimon Cowell Spotted Riding An Electric Bike Months After Breaking His Back
Getting back on the wagon? Simon Cowell was spotted riding an electric bike after he broke his back last year in a horrific bike accident.
The 61-year-old was photographed on Sunday, May 9, as he cycled with girlfriend Lauren Silverman and their son, Eric. Silverman and Eric appeared to be cycling on regular bikes, while Cowell rode an electric one.
The most recent sighting comes less than a year after the America's Got Talent host broke his back in an accident in August.
"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. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages," Cowell announced at the time.
"It could have been a lot worse," Cowell told Extra in February. "When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly could have smashed my spine to pieces. So, I literally wouldn’t have been able to walk. I knew I’d broken my back the minute I landed. It was really, really kind of sudden and it hurt."
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- Simon Cowell Considering Lawsuit Against Bike Firm After Breaking His Back In Painful Crash
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"I was thinking, 'I’ve got to get back into the house because I can’t lie there' and made myself kind of get carried into my bedroom, which is right there at the beginning of the house," he recalled of the accident and said he knew he was not "supposed to move" but wanted to. "And I’m lying there and I’m kind of passing out… It was surreal."
The former American Idol judge was "embarrassed" to come home "looking about 100 because I couldn’t walk, and I have these metal rods in my back and these screws."
His son told him he looked like Iron Man when he saw Cowell lying in bed with "these metal rods in my back and these screws." Cowell added, "I thought that was the sweetest thing and it meant a lot."
Cowell had a six-hour surgery after the accident and is reportedly considering taking legal action against the manufactures Swindon Powertrain. He reportedly pushed them to look into any issues with the bike, amid safety concerns for other customers.
As previously reported by OK!, a whistleblower for the bike company said that the bike "should never have been sold to Simon without him being taught how to use it" and was an "accident waiting to happen." Cowell could reportedly take home $13.5 million for medical expenses and loss of earnings.
The bike is reportedly 60 times more powerful than a regular e-bike and is usually not operated without specialist training and a lengthy demonstration; Cowell was said to have no prior experience with the bike involved in the accident.
"Simon is understandably extremely concerned for other peoples’ safety in relation to this bike. We’ve been pressing the manufacturer about this and will continue to press them, including in relation to the claims of the former member of staff," a spokesperson for Cowell told The Sun.
TMZ was the first to report that Cowell was spotted on an electric bike over the weekend.
