Cowell claims scowl was misunderstood
LOS ANGELES -- An annoyed look from "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell (inset) as a contestant expressed sadness over the Virginia Tech shootings was drastically misinterpreted, Cowell and the show said yesterday.
Cowell rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows as contestant Chris Richardson of Chesapeake, Va., followed his performance on Tuesday's show with a comment about the 32 people killed on the campus.
"My heart and prayers go out to Virginia Tech. I have a lot of friends over there. . . . Be strong," Richardson said on stage.
The camera caught Cowell's expression and showed him tapping his hand once, in apparent impatience, on the table in front of him and fellow judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. In contrast, Abdul could be seen nodding in approval.
The show went into damage control Wednesday, with Cowell -- known for his acerbic comments -- and a series producer denying that he had heard what Richardson said. Instead, he was talking to Abdul about Richardson's contention that he deliberately sang "Mayberry" in a nasal tone, Cowell told "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on Seacrest's radio show yesterday.
Cowell said he supported Richardson's comments. "I did want to clear this one up because, you know, this is a very very sensitive subject. The irony is that we did want to try and set the right tone on the show. And then something like this happens, and it just starts fanning the flames," Cowell said. "And people need to understand, there are families involved. It's not right." 