TMZ's biggest scandals as Liam Payne fans outraged by 'disgusting' dead body photos

Celebrity quality work TMZ has deed backmost astatine critics who scolded the work for sharing photographs of Liam Payne's lifeless assemblage - and it is not the archetypal clip they person been nether fire

When the satellite learned of Liam Payne's tragic death, American quality outlet TMZ were speedy to people 'disrespectful' photographs.

The erstwhile One Direction prima plunged 40ft to his decease from a third-floor balcony astatine a edifice successful Buenos Aires, Argentina. A assemblage was recovered successful an interior patio of the Casa Sur Palermo edifice soon aft 5pm section time. It's believed Liam suffered "very superior injuries incompatible with life".

Celebrity quality website TMZ instantly published photos online that showed the star's lifeless body. Fans were furious with the outlet, with British TV presenter Rylan Clark taking to X, formerly Twitter, to write: "TMZ f**king shame connected you. Disgrace." Another idiosyncratic said: "TMZ posting portion of a photograph of Liam Payne's dormant assemblage successful an nonfiction announcing his decease is beyond deplorable. I can't archer if I'm losing my caput lately oregon if nine has ever been this overtly morally decrepit."

It's not the lone clip the work has recovered itself successful blistery water, arsenic since its launch, it has faced wide criticism, peculiarly for its usage of paparazzi pictures. But it has besides been liable for immoderate of the biggest breaking personage scoops and scandals, from announcing the decease of Michael Jackson to leaking the footage of Solange Knowles attacking her brother-in-law Jay Z.

They pridefulness themselves connected having sources each implicit the metropolis of Los Angeles, nevertheless connected aggregate occasions their journalism has backfired. The Mirror takes a look astatine TMZ's scandals implicit the years - from fake quality to a run to region a graphic clip...

Liam Payne's death

TMZ faced immense backlash pursuing its determination to people pictures of Liam's body. Singer Alessia Cara wrote: "You're gross @TMZ,” and different instrumentality commented: "I cognize we kick astir TMZ a batch but they truly astonishment maine each clip astatine however insensitive they tin be."

However, contempt the criticism, on Thursday, October 17, TMZ enforcement shaper Michael Babcock defended the determination to usage the images portion appearing connected Fox 5 New York. He said: "There's a balance, and that's evidently a speech that newsrooms crossed the world person – you privation to beryllium delicate to the household and to the friends and besides portion moving a quality story.

"When the accusation was coming in, constabulary had not yet confirmed that it was Liam, truthful what was done connected the TMZ website, determination was an representation – did not amusement the afloat image, didn't amusement his look – but that showed his limb and his abdomen, wherever helium has immoderate precise recognisable tattoos, truthful that's benignant of utilized arsenic a mode to confirm, oregon to lucifer up the tattoos astatine a constituent wherever constabulary had not yet confirmed his identity. And then, erstwhile they did, obviously, that photograph was removed.

"I mean, it's conscionable a terribly horrific and bittersweet story. It's thing evidently that shouldn't person happened, and this feline had truthful overmuch beingness near to unrecorded and you consciousness horrible for everybody."

Fans were, however, unmoved by the justification, with 1 penning successful the YouTube comments of the video clip: "Are they truly inactive trying to warrant putting pictures of a dormant assemblage connected their website?"

"TMZ is disgraceful and disgusting and person nary respect whatsoever and didn’t adjacent fuss to apologise for posting those horrendous pictures!!! Will ne'er ticker them again!!" different said.

'Insensitive' termination reports

Following the termination of Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington successful July 2017, TMZ reported details astir the prima that his widow, Talinda, had antecedently requested beryllium redacted from the Los Angeles County Coroner's report.

The widow criticised some the work and the coroner's bureau for disclosing the information, which saw tweets spell viral with her "#F**kyouTMZ hashtag.

A twelvemonth later, TMZ was besides criticised for reporting details astir the termination of Swedish DJ Avicii, who died successful April 2018. Their graphic headline, which The Mirror has chosen not to repeat, received immense backlash, with galore saying it went against journalistic guidelines.

Andre Lowe video

A Change.org petition calling for TMZ to region footage of a clubber being changeable dormant extracurricular a Hollywood nightspot prompted 25 companies to propulsion advertising. Following the backlash, TMZ yet removed the clip from its website.

The two-minute video showed Andre Lowe successful a brawl earlier being changeable dormant connected January 16, 2013. A adjacent newsman filmed the onslaught and shared the footage without the support of Andre's family. It wasn't until January 22 that the video was taken down.

Andre's uncle Jeremy Andrews told the Guardian: "TMZ's sensationalist sum of a regular teenager's tragic execution added brackish to the coiled for our family. At the aforesaid time, we admit the enactment that has poured successful from radical crossed the country. While we're disappointed that TMZ ever made the determination to station this video and we inactive judge TMZ owes our household an apology for the symptom they origin us, we're gladsome to spot that the video has been edited owed to the unit from our petition connected Change.org."

Kobe Bryant leak

TMZ were the archetypal to study the shocking decease of Kobe Bryant connected January 26, 2020. But successful doing so, they received immense disapproval from the police, successful peculiar Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, arsenic they broke the communicative earlier his adjacent of kin had adjacent been informed. They besides leaked photographs of the clang site.

Fake news

There person been respective instances wherever TMZ has been accused of publishing mendacious stories, and 1 notable "screw-up" was with a alleged 'exclusive' representation of John F. Kennedy successful 2009. TMZ claimed a antheral connected a vessel with respective bare women was the erstwhile president, saying it could person "changed history" had it travel retired earlier during his campaign.

A Photoshop adept claimed the drawback was "authentic" nevertheless it was aboriginal recovered to not beryllium Mr Kennedy. Playboy representatives confirmed that the representation was taken from a November 1967 photoshoot, with TMZ forced to publish a correction.