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“Today our beloved mum Julie passed away,” a family spokesperson confirmed to the media. “Anyone who had met her would know what a truly special and kind lady she was. We are heartbroken and will miss her terribly, but she is now at peace.” The Cowell matriarch was the mother to four boys, Simon, Nicholas, 54, Tony, 65, and Michael, and the step-mother to John and June. Julie has been battling health problems for quite some time now. Sadly, she passed away July 5 due to a stroke.

The family spokesperson went on to ask for privacy during this difficult moment. “We would like to thank the media for kindly respecting Julie’s privacy throughout and we politely request continued privacy for the entire family at this particularly difficult time,” they said. A death in the family is always hard to deal with, but a family source told The Sun Simon is simply devastated.

“His mum was the most beloved person in his life and they were incredibly close. But at least she got to see him settle down and start a family which was one of the great wishes of her life,” the source said. “Julie had been unwell for some time. But Simon and his brothers were in constant contact with her and the family remained very close. They had been paying regular visits to her bedside and it’s been a God send that Simon hadn’t had to do too much work in the US over the last year. He’s completely heartbroken.” Simon has been quiet on the social media front, but his brother Tony tweeted about his mother’s passing on the evening of July 5.

Very sad night tonight. We will all miss Mum so very much. She was the heart and soul of our family x

— Tony Cowell (@cowelltweets) July 5, 2015

So heartbreaking. Again, our condolences to Simon and his family during this difficult time in their lives.

— Michelle Phi