Simon Cowell denies claims that he is gay

LONDON, July 22 (UPI) -- Simon Cowell's lawyer has issued a statement addressing remarks about the music mogul's sexual orientation made during Tulisa Contostavlos' drug trial.

During Contostavlos' trial -- which revolved around The Sun on Sunday reporter Mazher Mahmood involving her in a 800 pound cocaine deal -- the singer's personal assistant Gareth Varey can be heard in a tape affirming that Cowell is gay and that he knows men who have bedded him.

Cowell's lawyer's statement begins by saying that "In 2014 the question of whether someone is or is not gay is antiquated."

"As it happens he isn't, though if he were, he would simply have said so," it continues. "However, the issue was the false suggestion made by Mr. Varey that Simon -- who is renowned for his honesty and candidness -- had thus not been truthful in the public arena and this is what we have been obliged to clarify."

Cowell's statement was issued hours after a judge threw out Contostavlos' case under grounds that Mahmood likely lied under oath.

"This whole case was a horrific and disgusting entrapment by Mazher Mahmood and The Sun on Sunday newspaper," Contostavlos said after being cleared of all charges.

Contostavlos knows Cowell from the time she served as a judge in the eighth season of the singing reality competition, The X Factor.