Tulisa's PA 'told undercover reporter Simon Cowell was gay during cocaine sting'

**mjw** · July 17th, 2014, 05:03 PM

An aide to former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos told an undercover reporter that Simon Cowell was gay, her trial heard today.

The singer’s manager and agent, Gareth Varey, made the extraordinary allegation as he negotiated a £3million fee for her to star in a fictitious Hollywood blockbuster, Southwark Crown Court was told.

Undercover Sun reporter Mazher Mahmood posed as a Bollywood film producer offering Contostavlos a role in a British Slumdog Millionaire-style movie.

An aide to former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos, pictured, told an undercover reporter that Simon Cowell was gay, her trial heard yesterday

The singer is alleged to have arranged to supply the fake movie mogul with cocaine worth £820 in a bid to secure the role, saying she was desperate to leave The X Factor.

The jury was told that after a drunken night out at a nightclub with Contostavlos in May last year, Mr Mahmood asked Mr Varey about Cowell.

Mr Mahmood said: ‘Is he gay?’

Mr Varey answered: ‘Yes.’

Mr Mahmood asked: ‘Have you slept with him?’

Mr Varey answered ‘No’, adding ‘I know people who have.’

Cowell has since had a baby with his partner Lauren Silverman.

Earlier the court heard how Contostavlos arranged for 13.9g of cocaine to be taken to Mr Mahmood’s hotel.

But days after the drugs were delivered by a friend, Contostavlos realised she had been duped in a tabloid newspaper sting.

It was claimed the N-Dubz star was ‘lured’ into a trap after her drinks were spiked at top hotels in Las Vegas and Mayfair and dinners at celebrity favourite Nobu restaurant where she and Mr Varey were wooed by the fake producer.

Jeremy Dein, QC, defending, accused Mr Mahmood of plying her with drink, encouraging her to be a drug dealer and then threatening that Keira Knightley would get the part if she didn’t supply the cocaine .

He asked Mr Mahmood: ‘You spiked her drinks to get her to incriminate herself, didn’t you?’

The journalist replied: ‘That’s absolutely outrageous. No, that’s complete and utter nonsense.’

Contostavlos was flown first class with Mr Varey and a friend to stay at the luxury Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for two nights.

But jurors heard that she insisted staying another night and called paparazzi to take snaps of her in a bikini by the pool to show off her new tattoo.

As part of the elaborate ruse, Mr Mahmood pretended to take calls from Cameron Diaz and Keira Knightley.

Contostavlos is accused of getting her rapper friend Michael Coombs to take ‘white sweets’- her alleged code for cocaine- to Mr Mahmood at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

Coombs, 36, whose rapper name is Mike GLC, has already pleaded guilty to supplying drugs

The singer was dropped as an X Factor judge just two weeks before her arrest in June last year.

Contostavlos denies being involved in the supply of class A drugs.

The trial continues.

Read more: Tulisa's PA 'told undercover reporter Simon Cowell was gay during cocaine sting' | Mail Online
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**rollo** · July 17th, 2014, 06:37 PM

Oh Tulisa. Fame has gone to your head. I don't think the Simon Cowell info is any great revelation.

**mjw** · July 17th, 2014, 10:01 PM

A spokesman for Simon Cowell said: "We are bound by contempt of court rules so cannot respond to these claims in the manner we wish to.

"We are speaking to the Attorney General's office - and we intend to make a statement in court as soon as possible."

http://www.itv.com/news/2014-07-17/simon-cowells-spokesman-responds-to-claims-the-x-factor-boss-is-gay/

**dilligaf** · July 17th, 2014, 10:38 PM

Yawn.

**Angeli** · July 18th, 2014, 12:17 AM

She looks like another plastic Kim Kardashian clone.

**faithanne** · July 18th, 2014, 12:26 AM

I don't know who she is but why does she have a PA? But I 100% believe the Cowell allegation, it always seemed like his stable of chicks were a big old beardy cover.

**rollo** · July 18th, 2014, 02:32 PM

Conveniently he has a stable of guys on his yacht as crew.

**Seth82** · July 18th, 2014, 02:46 PM

I don't think this is news to anyone regarding Cowell.

I used to like her music.

this was a fun song.

**BITTER** · July 19th, 2014, 09:07 PM

This is not news. I have heard this for years, but they have never been able to link him to anyone.

**mjw** · July 22nd, 2014, 09:29 PM

Random alert!

Simon Cowell's sexuality became a hot topic in a U.K. courtroom last week after a recording was played during a trial that otherwise had nothing to do with the famed TV star and record exec, in which his former manager was heard claiming that Cowell was gay. According to reports, another man identified as Mazher Mahmood asks Gareth Varey, the ex-manager, if Cowell is gay and Varey replies, "Yes." Asked how he supposedly knew that, Varey responds, "I know people who have."

Not that there'd be anything wrong with that—but it simply isn't true.

"Simon was referred to during the trial without forewarning, resulting in widespread media coverage of untrue claims regarding his private life," attorneys for Cowell, 54, said in a statement to E! News. "In 2014 the question of whether someone is or is not gay is antiquated. (As it happens he isn't, though if he were, he would simply have said so)."

His legal camp continued: "However, the issue was the false suggestion made by Mr. Varey that Simon—who is renowned for his honesty and candidness—had thus not been truthful in the public arena and this is what we have been obliged to clarify."

Considering Cowell is beloved (and despised, but in a love-to-hate-him way) for his candor, he understandably wanted to put a rumor to rest that implied he had been any less than honest.

The reliably acerbic Brit, meanwhile, became a first-time dad on Valentine's Day, welcoming son Eric with girlfriend Lauren Silverman. And fatherhood seems to agree with Cowell, who has shared some positively adorable pics of his baby boy.

Moreover, the X Factor judge now has, in addition to finally settling down after years of bachelorhood,yet another thing in common with George Clooney.

"Who does it hurt if someone thinks I'm gay?" Clooney told The Advocate in 2012 when asked about the oft-circled rumor that he preferred men to women. "I'll be long dead and there will still be people who say I was gay. I don't give a s--t."

Simon Cowell Reminds People He Isn't Gay After Recording of 2 Men Discussing His Sexuality Is Played During a Trial in England | E! Online

**BrickHouse** · July 23rd, 2014, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by mjw

"Simon was referred to during the trial without forewarning, resulting in widespread media coverage of untrue claims regarding his private life," attorneys for Cowell, 54, said in a statement to E! News. "In 2014 the question of whether someone is or is not gay is antiquated. (As it happens he isn't, though if he were, he would simply have said so)."