Saying Yes to Love
Posted on March 12, 2010
Filed Under East meets West, Guest Columnist | Leave a Comment
By Susan Stackpole
Has love melted the glacial heart of grinchy, snarky, Simon Cowell? It seems so. Cowell’s demeanor is noticeable kinder as he reveals a more empathic, jovial side. Cowell’s sweetheart, Mezhgan Hussainy, American Idol makeup artist, has him bubbling about life and love. Cowell reveals, “‘I’m smitten with Mezhgan. I think she’s the one. She’s very special.” When asked about having children together, Cowell shared, “‘I think I need to have little Simons around.”
Cowell, normally tightlipped about his private life, has been expounding Hussainy’s praises. He revealed, “You confuse lust with love, you know, when you’re in your teens and stuff like that. It’s a difficult thing to describe other than you know it when you are.” When probed about the nature of his relationship with Hussainy, Cowell gushed, ‘You just know when you’ve found somebody special, and I feel very, very happy.’
Who is Mezhgan Hussainy, the woman that’s melted the ice prince’s heart? Hussainy’s big opportunity came while working for makeup artist to John O’Hurley on the game show, “To Tell the Truth”. She was a guest on “The Montel Williams Show”, where she shared the moving story of her family’s escape from native Afghanistan in the early 1980′s. She began the Faraway Foundation, a non-profit organization, to help Afghanistani women and children rebuild schools and hospitals. Mezhgan developed her own makeup line, which currently sells on QVC, and she is currently writing a book about her experiences. Add to the list of Hussainy’s accomplishments, capturing the heart of Simon Cowell.
Cowell, son of a real estate developer and music industry executive father and ballet dancer mother, became famous for his harsh and frosty critiques on American Idol, where he rose to meteoric fame. Contestants flock to auditions, and fans worldwide tune in for Cowell’s curt comments on Idol. Adam Lambert, Idol’s Season 8 runner up, shares his insights on Cowell, stating, “The contestants will miss out on, like, really honest criticism. Sometimes it can be a little personal, and I know other contestants took it to heart sometimes and got really stressed out about what he would say. [But] I think that that’s important to making you a better performer … You’ve got to hear the good and the bad.”
Cowell’s career reflects his brazen personality and persistence. Early on, he was reportedly a runner for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Cowell rose through the ranks and eventually created television production and music publishing house, Syco. Cowell has been on a judge on numerous popular talent shows including Britain’s Got Talent. Cowell is completing American Idol’s ninth season and then moving on to The X Factor.
Cowell’s charity work illustrates his generosity in action. Cowell helps The Association of Children’s Hospices, inviting children backstage for screenings on The X Factor, and visits visit children at the hospices. Cowell has also appeared in a PETA video. Cowell reveals more in his autobiography, “I Don’t Mean To Be Rude, But…”, released in 1993, where he shares childhood stories, experiences in the music industry, and includes tips on being a successful pop star.
What’s next for Cowell & Hussainy? The couple, now dating about six months, has known each other for years through American Idol. Cowell seems ebullient. Max Clifford, Cowell’s United Kingdom rep, Cowell’s U.K. rep Max Clifford confirms with People Magazine, “She is someone who is independent and says what she thinks and feels, and he likes that. He’s probably the happiest I have ever known him in the nine years I’ve been working with him.” He adds, “They have known each other for years. They’ve actually been going out together for the last year. She knows him; she’s been around him. So, she knows the person he is, and he knows the person she is. That’s why it works so well.” The collective surprise of media and fans alike is best summed up in the words of Dr. Seuss, “They say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.” Congratulations, Simon & Mezhgan!
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