Simon to Clay -- Give Me a Break!

Posted Sep 27th 2006 6:16PM by TMZ Staff

Leave it to Simon Cowell to put down a guy on Paxil.

When commenting on Clay Aiken's recent admittance that he takes the anti-depressant to deal with the fame that came with "American Idol," Cowell definitely didn't hold back.

"Oh give me a break. Let me have a choice, I'm going to work in a coal mine for 14 hours a day or I'm going to be a runner-up on 'American Idol.' Give me a break, idiot."

And while judge Paula Abdul and celebrity guest judge Olivia Newton-John both stuck up for the season two runner-up, Cowell kept the insults rolling.

"They're not working for a living, they're becoming famous ... no one's put a gun to their head ... Clay, whatever he may have said, would not swap what he's got now for what he had three years ago."

Way to be sympathetic Simon!

Filed under: TV, American Idol, Celebrity Feuds

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1. Preach on Brother..

Posted at 7:24PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Dog Bone Jenkins

2. Way to be REAL, Simon!

Posted at 7:24PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Kim

3. Clay you're glib, take some vitamins and you'll be ok.

Posted at 7:30PM on Sep 27th 2006 by tomcruise

4. Is that you, Tom?

Posted at 7:31PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Kim

5. Simon's so right! This not only applies to Clay Aiken but to celebrities in GENERAL. I'm not saying it is IMPOSSIBLE for these people to suffer from depression, but the truth is if they had a choice of going back to a normal life ( 9-5, middle class income,etc.) they would NOT choose it! The perks of being a celebrity are too much!!

Posted at 7:31PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Elle

6. Simon is right. It may be a pain in the ass being famous and all, but once you've lived the high life its hard to go back to being just another gay guy working at Wal-Mart.

Posted at 7:37PM on Sep 27th 2006 by King of the butt pirates

7. Simon is absolutely true. His point isn't that anti-depressants are bad but that Clay is just a whiney idiot. He goes on a tv show that promises to make the winners successful famous singers then when it happens he cries?!! Simon is right, if it is too hard for you to have fans and be famous, remember the people in the real world that have to work horrible conditions for little pay. You don't see people in sweat shops on meds...hee hee. Clay rubs me the wrong way!

Posted at 7:38PM on Sep 27th 2006 by LAGurl

8. Clay "ass is a" Akin...............

Is possibly the biggest loser in the world..

Well not as long as MK OLSEN is still walkin around like a skeleton...

MK OLDSCUM "IS" the worlds biggest LOSER.. HAHAHAHAHA its true

Posted at 7:42PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Maybe Pariss is Laughing Right NOW!!!!

9. Clay who??? American... what???

At least I know what Paxil- or at least would if I had to watch that show and listen to those wanna-be singers every week. Just a fu**ing joke those ass clowns are.

Posted at 7:43PM on Sep 27th 2006 by YurMomma

10. i would submit that the drugs are for spending a lifetime hiding his being a flamer.

simons right, imagine trying to explain an eating disorder to an ethiopian.

Posted at 7:46PM on Sep 27th 2006 by bubba

11. you need a anit-deperssant to watch americian idol,all of them one song deal,tired of paula,simon and randy,none of them who know talent,a far as they know ,paris has talent,NOT!!!!!,i WISH ALL OF THEM WOULD GO AWAY,THE ONLY THING PARIS HAS TALENT IS BEING DUMB

Posted at 7:51PM on Sep 27th 2006 by dixie chick hater

12. "the truth is if they had a choice of going back to a normal life ( 9-5, middle class income,etc.) they would NOT choose it!"

The other day I was on the side of a mountain walking down to a hidden beach ?I know about, with my family and a good friend, and I realized I was the richest man in the world. Right there, the richest man in the world. Famous people, rich people, all seek that moment. It is more accessible really to the middle class, we don't deal with fame or excessive responsibilities that take us away from being really rich. Good friends, good family, freedom to wander, open sky above, green earth below, that is the richest person in the world. That's all Clay Aiken is saying. Simon Cowell is wrong..

Posted at 7:55PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Sharn Cedar

13. Just goes to show that the price of fame can be extremely high. I'm sure that he wouldn't want to go back to pre-Idol days, but give the guy a break! He works hard and isn't one of the celebs that are in and out of rehab. Depression is a disease not a chosen way of life!!!!

Posted at 8:05PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Me

14. I just love Simon. He is ALWAYS right! People just don't like to admit it.

Posted at 8:08PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Simon's Fiance

15. Simon's right. Gay, or Straight, Clay needs to get a F@#cking life and look around him. There's people that would kill to have his life. If it weren't for American Idol, he would be a nobody and he'd probably be even more depressed than he is right now. How many middle/lower class people get passed by everyday, and this fool is complaining that he actually got somewhere in life. Give me a break. I've heard people in church that sing better than most of those American Idol contestants, what about those people? No money, no fame, nothing but hard-working Americans with a dream of one day being in Clay's shoes. He's not depressed because of American idol, he's depressed because he's scared to come out of the closet with the public eye watching him. (I mean seriously, what straight guy sings show tunes like he really wants to be the lead singer of Annie.) He seriously needs to shut the hell up and be grateful for what he's got!!!

Posted at 8:50PM on Sep 27th 2006 by Melissa

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