Simon Cowell Speaks Out After Breaking Back in E-Bike Accident

Simon Cowell is speaking out about what to do before getting on a e-bike after an accident left him with a broken back that required emergency surgery. “Some good advice ... If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time,” Cowell tweeted.

The 60-year-old "America's Got Talent" judge reportedly had a metal rod put in his back during the surgery, which lasted six hours. 

The accident happened in the courtyard area of his Malibu, California home. Another report said he "narrowly missed severing his spinal cord" and was "in complete agony."

Cowell will miss the first two live broadcasts of "America's Got Talent" scheduled to air on Tuesday and Wednesday. His fellow judges are busy rehearsing at Universal Studios in Hollywood and they sent their well wishes to their absent colleague.

"I miss you Simon, and get well soon," fellow judge Heidi Klum said in a video.

"We miss our boss!! Come back fast @simoncowell!!" Sofia Vergara wrote on Twitter.

In one photo, Klum, Vergara and Howie Mandel point to Cowell's empty chair.

Cowell had been spotted biking around his neighborhood lately. It's not known which make of the bike was involved in the accident. 

The accident comes as e-bike sales are up during the pandemic. 

"They have power to them. You can do 20-plus miles an hour," Rodney Masjedi, owner of DTLA bikes in Los Angeles, told Inside Edition.

Reports indicate that Cowell may have been shifting gears, did a wheelie and flew off the back of the bike when he was injured.

"Starting off — power settings. If you have the power nice and low, you're not going to have that torquey feeling and you won't feel like the front of the bike basically lifts up," Masjedi said.

Cowell is on the road to recovery. "Massive thank you to all the nurses and doctors. Some of the nicest people I have ever met. Stay safe everyone," he tweeted.

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