British singer Cheryl has allegedly been leaning on friend and mentor Simon Cowell as her divorce drags on.
The Fight for This Love singer is seeking comfort in the 56-year-old media mogul as negotiations with estranged husband Jean-Bernard Versini turn increasingly hostile, say sources.
Cheryl married Jean-Bernard after a whirlwind three month romance in July 2014. They split in January 2016, although they are thought to have privately parted back in August (15). She is now dating One Direction star Liam Payne.
"Cheryl's been speaking to Simon throughout this messy process, he's become like her divorce coach," a source told Britain's Heat magazine.
"As well as being very loyal to Cheryl, Simon is also very honest - she joked that he's a therapist, father and friend, all in one."
As things have turned publicly nasty between Cheryl and her ex - she slammed his accusations that she cheated on him with 22-year-old Liam as "s**t" on Twitter - Simon has apparently warned Cheryl to be extremely careful about what she says in public to limit any damage to her reputation.
"He didn't approve of her Twitter rant... and told her so," the insider added.
And it seems to be advice she's heeding. British newspaper The Sun has reported Cheryl turned down Jean-Bernard's plea to attend counselling and instead has offered him money to end the marriage quickly.
However, Cheryl's representative fired back: "Cheryl maintains a dignified silence on her private life and will not respond to these claims."
Cheryl is reportedly keen to wrap things up as she fears the whole situation is having an effect on her relationship with Liam, as the One Direction singer is reportedly overwhelmed by the bitter divorce battle.
"Liam has a lot of respect for Si, so he's hoping Cheryl follows his advice," the source said.
With Cheryl's hopes of a quickie divorce looking unlikely, Simon is said to have advised her to keep Jean-Bernard on side. And Cheryl would do well to take note, as generous Simon is the expert at keeping his exes happy. He famously gifted his exes Terri Seymour and Mezhgan Hussainy million dollar properties in Los Angeles.