Will.i.am has said that being axed from The X Factor USA will be "no problem" for Cheryl Cole.
The Black Eyed Peas man claimed that Cole would get over the disappointment and could still break America.
"She always comes back stronger, and she always comes back bigger," he told Heat. "Cheryl has been through rougher things than this, so this is going to be no problem for her.
"The X Factor is not the only way for Cheryl to break the US, it's not like it's the only show on television."
will.i.am added: "And remember that Cheryl is a recording artist first. Over the next few months she's potentially going to be working with artists
like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Usher, and of course the Peas."It has been claimed that there was "too much negativity around" Cole, which led to her departure from The X Factor USA.
Asked if Simon Cowell was to blame, will.i.am said: "It's easy to imagine Simon as this one-man empire, but that's not the case.
"He has people he needs to answer to and sometimes his hands are going to be tied. I can only tell you what I have seen first-hand: that's a guy who deeply cares for her."
Cowell was reportedly booed by supporters of Cole in the audience for this week's Britain's Got Talent live shows.