Cowell faces flak for rolling eyes at Virginia Tech comment

Simon Cowell is under fire for rolling his eyes at an inappropriate moment.

An annoyed look from American Idol judge Simon Cowell as a contestant expressed sadness over the Virginia Tech shootings was drastically misinterpreted, Cowell said yesterday.

Cowell rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows as contestant Chris Richardson, of Virginia, followed his performance with a comment about the 32 people killed on the campus by a student: "My hearts and prayers go out to Virginia Tech. I have a lot of friends over there ... Be strong."

Cowell - known for his acerbic comments - denied he had heard what Richardson said and said he supported his comments.