Simon Cowell AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Simon Cowell broke his silence and defended members of the popular boy band One Direction afters two of its members were caught on video smoking what appeared to be marijuana.
In an interview on Digital spy, a British entertainment and news website, Cowell said, “their work ethics and dedication to fans have not wavered” following the controversial video.
He was quoted saying, “What I can say is that they’re the hardest-working boys I’ve ever worked with. They still haven’t changed.”
He added “They’re really respectful of their fans [and] they’re a great British export… they’ve been a joy to work with. I’ve worked with a lot of artists in the past who do lose the plot, who do lose respect for their fans, they’ve never done that.”
Cowell, who served as the mentor for the group, formed the British boy band during the X factor United Kingdom in 2011.
On May 27, video showing members of the band smoking what appeared to be marijuana inside a sports utility vehicle (SUV) started going viral.
The boy band will have a two-night concert in the Philippines on March 2015.
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