'It was an ordeal': Simon Cowell's lover's ex-husband speaks out - and calls their very public divorce 'a very difficult time in my life'

The ex-husband of Simon Cowell's lover Lauren Silverman has spoken out on his pain at their very public divorce - calling the 'ordeal' a 'very difficult time in my life'.

Speaking to the New York Observer about the devastating marriage split, Andrew Silverman 37, who shares joint custody of his eight-year-old son Adam with Lauren, admits: 'It was a fascinating experience, unexpected and shocking...I learned a lot, moved forward.'
And as Lauren, 36, splits her time between her £26,000-a-month New York apartment and Cowell's London home with their newborn son Eric, Adam spends his portion of his time with his father living in an Upper East Side co-op and attending the same exclusive Manhattan school as his father did before him.
Meanwhile, Andrew's brother Alex Silverman even takes the opportunity to make a jibe at the brunette in the report, saying: 'You can’t take someone who has very poor roots and turn them into a golden child, but that’s what the media tried to do - to turn his ex-wife into a great person to benefit a celebrity.'

Cowell has revealed he leaves changing his son's nappies to the nanny - because 'I don't think dads do that'

Burnt offering: Simon Cowell looked like he had spent to much time in the sun as he went for dinner with Lauren Silverman in Miami on Tuesday

Having barely spoken since the divorce was finalized in December, Andrew said: 'My core business has continued to move forward. I learned a lot about myself as an individual, the importance of family. My focus has been on my son throughout the whole ordeal.'
Having been friends with music mogul Cowell, Andrew makes it clear he was stunned at being thrown into the spotlight last July when it was revealed his wife had been having an affair with the X Factor star - and was pregnant with his child.
He said: 'Being in the public spotlight is not something I envy. It’s never been my way.'
'Privacy has tremendous value. I’ve tried to be as quiet as possible even though everyone wants to hear about this hoopla.
'I just wanted to refocus on what I do,” he said. 'I am a regular person, not a tabloid thing. It was a fascinating experience, unexpected and shocking.'
And making a reference to his ex-wife, Andrew said: 'I think for both of us, making sure our son has a normal environment is the primary focus.'
Lauren gave birth to Cowell's son Eric on Valentine's Day at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and the couple quickly left the New York and headed to Miami to see Lauren's family before going to London, where Cowell has been filming his UK show, Britain's Got Talent.
Her son Adam has met his younger brother and has also been with his mother in Miami, New York and London, according to sources, but has been kept firmly out of the public eye.
Meanwhile, Andrew's brother Alex, with whom he runs family property firm Andalex, told the Observer: 'I give him a lot of credit for everything he went through and that he was able to keep his mind focused despite what was going on.'
The brothers are seen as rising stars in New York real-estate scene and the family own a string of Manhattan apartments as well as a $4.5million country home in Stamford, Connecticut.

Betrayal: Andrew and Lauren Silverman, pictured in January 2013, were married for 10 years. Their marriage ended following her affair with Cowell with whom she now has a baby son, Eric

Cosy: Simon Cowell is joined by his Lauren Silverman and her now ex-husband Andrew Silverman on board his yacht the Slipstream in St Barts in January 2012

Cowell became a father for the first time with the birth of son, Eric, in February with Lauren Silverman

And Alex described his sister-in-law’s scandal as 'never something we would have expected' as their own parents Allen and Eleonore have been married for 39 years, adding: 'I think a lot of people tried to paint a poor picture of my brother.'
MailOnline told how the Silvermans were so upset at Andrew and Lauren's marriage that they boycotted their wedding - such was their dislike of the Florida-raised socialite.
He said that the focus should be on his brother, calling him 'a really great person who has moved on with his life.'

Cowell is pictured here with the mother of his child, American socialite Lauren Silverman

It has been reported that key to the Silvermans' divorce settlement was a strict stipulation that Cowell, 54, would have to stay away from Adam or face a $50,000 penalty if he ever comes in contact with him.
And if Cowell should happen to see him THREE times, then Lauren will lose all contact with her son until a court is able to intervene and decide what to do.
The alleged ban will last until January 2015.
There is also a clause in the settlement, revealed in reports, that Lauren and Andrew agree to prevent Adam from calling anyone other than them “mother” or “father”.

DM