Simon Cowell is father to child of friend's wife

Simon Cowell, the ex-American Idol judge infamous for his malicious and biting remarks, is becoming a father. The mother of his child is no other than the wife of his good friend and New York real estate millionaire, Andrew Silverman, 37.

New York socialite Lauren Silverman, 36, is three months pregnant with the first child of the multi-millionaire creator of the singing competition program, “The X Factor,” People magazine reported on July 31 (KST).

"Simon thought this was a casual relationship - friends with benefits. The pregnancy was not planned," a source close to Cowell said.

"No question that Simon will want to be part of the baby's life, but I'm not so sure he wants to be part of Lauren's," another said.

Andrew Silverman filed for a divorce on the grounds of adultery on July 15 after hearing news of Cowell and his wife's love child. Currently living separately from each other, the Silvermans are still a married couple - legally at least.

"My top priority is protecting my seven-year-old son [Adam] while working to resolve all outstanding issues with my wife," Andrew Silverman said in a statement.

Cowell's friendship with the Silvermans is no big secret. On the three's yacht trip to St. Barths last August, Silverman was spotted cuddling next to Cowell and running her hand through his hair as her husband looked on.

"Lauren and Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time," a source told Us Weekly. "As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became close."

Cowell, however, showed mixed feelings about the idea of having children as early as in 2009, when he said, “God, no. I couldn’t have children. If I had them here drawing on the walls, I’d go nuts.”

He seemed to show a change in thoughts about the prospect of becoming a father last March. “I do really, really like kids, because I can talk to them and listen to them. The problem has always been how much time you need to devote to bringing up kids,” he said.

The socialite is now getting embroiled in a messy name-calling business. Silverman has been accused of being a “gold-digger,” having demanded that Cowell provide her with a reality show and a guaranteed marriage - a claim that was allegedly made by Cowell's supporters, the Daily Mail reported Aug 2.

In the midst of the adultery scandal, Lauren Silverman’s mother seems to be ecstatic about her daughter’s pregnancy. “I’m delighted. It’s wonderful,” she told the Daily Mail.