News outlet TMZ has received huge backlash after sharing photos of Liam Payne’s deceased body.
The world has been left in shock by the sudden and unexpected death of One Direction singer Liam Payne.
It was revealed the 31-year-old died on October 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from a hotel balcony.
According to reports, the tragic accident occurred shortly after 5pm. on Wednesday. News of Payne’s passing quickly made its way across the internet.
Celebrity news organization TMZ, which provides entertainment and news, covered the shocking incident.
Many people have since shared their distaste for the way they chose to cover the former boyband member’s death.
Payne rose to fame when he became a One Direction member after auditioning for the British TV series The X Factor, managed by Simon Cowell.
The group comprised Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan, and they grew extremely popular.
The band is considered one of the most successful boy bands of all time, selling over 70 million records worldwide as per BBC.
Payne embarked on a solo career after One Direction announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus in 2015.
The 31-year-old signed a record deal with Republic Records and released ‘Strip That Down’ in 2017 which peaked at number three on the U.K. Singles Chart and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ singer reached over 3.9 billion career streams in his solo venture.
At the time of his death, Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert, according to Argentinian media.
Police confirmed that a 911 call was made from his hotel.
According to Sky News, Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, claimed that authorities were called after there had been reports of an ‘aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.’
While they were there, a loud bang was heard, and Payne fell down to the hotel courtyard floor.
The singer approximately fell 40 meters and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life.’
Crescenti said: “Unfortunately, the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.”
The news of his death has left fans heartbroken and supporters of the singer have flocked to the hotel to pay their respects.
But news outlet TMZ is currently under fire from their reporting on the tragic incident.
One person writes: “TMZ posting part of Liam Payne’s dead body in an article announcing his death is beyond deplorable. I can’t tell if I’m losing my mind lately or if society has always been this overly morally decrepit.”
Another adds: “Whatever you think about Liam Payne, TMZ posting photos of his dead body is actually insane.”
“My heart breaks for Liam Payne’s family… TMZ posting pictures of his body not even an hour after he died is insane,” a third responds.
Alessia Cara seemingly calls out TMZ for publishing images of Liam Payne’s body in article reporting his passing. pic.twitter.com/harPKWr33R
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 16, 2024
Singer Alessia Cara also called out the media outlet on X, formerly known as Twitter.
TMZ had obtained pictures of Payne’s body and uploaded photos of the singer’s stomach, showing off his Scorpio tattoo and one of his arms with a clock tattoo.
His lifeless body could be seen on the wooden deck with his arm next to one of the hotel chairs.
The photos have been removed from the site, but the image has circulated online.
Despite the huge amount of backlash, TMZ executive producer Michael Babcock defended the decision to use the images while appearing on Fox 5 New York.
He said: “There’s a balance, and that’s obviously a conversation that newsrooms across the world have – you want to be sensitive to the family and to the friends and also while working a news story,”
“When the information was coming in, police had not yet confirmed that it was Liam, so what was done on the TMZ website, there was an image – did not show the full image, didn’t show his face – but that showed his arm and his abdomen, where he has some very recognizable tattoos.”
Babcock continued: “So that’s sort of used as a way to confirm or to match up the tattoos at a point where police had not yet confirmed his identity. And then, once they did, obviously, that photo was removed.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National S**cide Prevention Lifeline in the U.S.A. at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
In the U.K., the Samaritans are available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, emailing jo@samaritans.org, or heading to the website to find your nearest branch.
