Simon Cowell 'dumped Lauren Silverman six weeks ago, BEFORE he knew she was pregnant'

                 Lauren Silverman who is expecting Simon Cowell's first baby

Simon Cowell reportedly dumped Lauren Silverman before he knew she was pregnant.

The 53-year-old music mogul is said to have ended his romance with the 36-year-old socialite - the wife of his close friend Andrew Silverman - six weeks ago, only to later discover she is expecting his baby.

He is said to have told a friend: 'It's over with Lauren - it has been since before anyone knew she was pregnant. I want matters resolved but in a sensitive way. I have to respect a lot of people's feelings. 

There's a lot of people's feelings here.'

Simon is said to be feeling "confused" about Lauren's pregnancy but has vowed to stand by her.

The source added to the Sunday Mirror newspaper: 'Simon feels like he's been done up like a kipper in all of this.

'He and Lauren split up six weeks ago but the next thing we know he gets a phone call from her saying, 'Guess what?' Since then he has been feeling very confused about everything.'

Lauren's mother, Carole Saland, meanwhile has slammed claims her daughter deliberately got pregnant to "trap" the 'X Factor' boss.

And she's calling for him to do the "right thing" and marry her pregnant daughter.

She told The Sun newspaper: 'Lauren is not a gold-digger. She came from a very comfortable family and never lacked for anything.

'Her and Simon are very fond of each other. She tells me great things about him and has always spoken very highly of him...

"I trust Simon to do the right thing by my daughter.'

Lauren - who is 10 weeks pregnant - has a seven-year-old son, Adam, with Andrew.

The casino boss has filed for divorce.

Cowell, meanwhile, jetted out of Los Angeles on a private plane on Friday night - leaving all the furore over his married, pregnant lover behind.

The X Factor supremo, 53, left California from a private airport and will join friends on board the Slipstream yacht in St Tropez, in the South of France, for what is expected to be a month-long vacation.

He will tour Europe and take time to evaluate how exactly to proceed after it was revealed last week that New York socialite Lauren Silverman - married to his friend Andrew - is expecting his baby.

Members of Cowell's harem including his ex-girlfriend and 80s popstar Sinitta, and even possibly his former fiancee Mezghan Hussainy, are expected to join him.

Both are standing by him and have given him their full support.

Ironically, it was on board the $458,000-a-week Slipstream that Cowell was pictured sharing a tender embrace with Lauren last August, in images that came to light earlier this week.

But as Cowell soaks up the sun, his lover is spending the weekend in the Hamptons with her estranged husband as they attempt to come to an 'amicable resolution' over their divorce, according to one source.

The couple want to make their seven-year-old son Adam their main priority, the source said.

And it seems Simon will need to use his time on holiday to come to terms with the expense of his latest scandal.

Cowell is reportedly set to pay out £63 million in child support.

The 53-year-old music mogul is said to have pledged to give her £3 million a year until the youngster turns 21 after taking legal and financial advice over the "messy" situation.

A source told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: 'He wants to ensure he does the right thing for her and their baby as well as resolving this mess.

'Simon wanted to know exactly where he stands and to minimise the damage this will do to his bank balance.

'He has a good relationship with Lauren at the moment but when you're as wealthy as Simon, you can't take any chances. Money changes people.'

Simon has been named in divorce papers filed by Andrew and it is claimed the X Factor boss has "happily agreed" to cover his former friend's legal costs if he drops an adultery claim in favour of a no contest divorce.

Andrew has been spotted at the lavish New York home he shared with Lauren - who stands to receive between $3 and $4 million in the divorce under the terms of their pre-nuptial agreement - and their son over the last few days, but friends insist there has been minimal communication between the estranged couple.

One pal told the New York Post newspaper: 'Andrew stayed at the house to create some normalcy for their son.

'There was no talk about the divorce settlement. That is being handled by the lawyers. There was minimal conversation between them. It was done purely for their child.'