Alessia Cara Slams TMZ After Liam Payne’s Death

Singer-songwriter Alessia Cara criticized TMZ’s decision to share graphic photos of Liam Payne’s death on October 16, 2024.

In the wake of the former One Direction member’s tragic death, the media landscape has been shaken by a controversy surrounding TMZ’s coverage of the incident. The 31-year-old “Strip That Down” singer passed away following a fall from the third floor of a Buenos Aires hotel on Wednesday, Argentinian police confirmed to CNN. While the incident itself has left fans and celebrities mourning, the way the death was handled by some media outlets has sparked outrage.

Entertainment news outlet TMZ broke the news of Payne’s death with a post that included cropped images of the late singer’s body. Although the photos did not display Payne’s full body, they showed recognizable tattoos on his forearm and abdomen, including a clock and a scorpion. The outlet stated, “We’re not showing the whole body, but you can clearly see his tattoo — a clock on his left forearm, and a scorpion on his abdomen.”

The images of Payne’s body were later removed from the original post following public outcry.

Among the most vocal critics was the “Scars to Your Beautiful” singer, who took to X to express her disapproval. In a post directly tagging TMZ, Cara simply but strongly wrote, “You’re gross,” condemning the outlet’s choice to share the images. Her comment resonated with many fans who viewed the original coverage as invasive and disrespectful to both Payne and his grieving loved ones.

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Fans Reacted to TMZ’s Reporting of Payne’s Death

The decision to publish even partially revealing images has drawn significant backlash. Fans have argued that sharing the photos overstepped ethical boundaries and demonstrated a disregard for Payne’s privacy and dignity in death. One fan posted, “Liam’s family needs to sue TMZ…posting a picture of his dead body not even an hour after he died is INSANE!”

Following widespread criticism, TMZ eventually removed the images and altered the article to state, “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body,” without further visual detail.

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Cara’s Comment Sparks a Conversation

Cara’s public callout has added fuel to a larger conversation about the role of media outlets in reporting celebrity deaths. The debate centers on the difficult fine line between news reporting and sensationalism, especially when it involves such sensitive material.

After Payne’s death left many in a state of shock, the tone quickly shifted to honoring his legacy, with tributes pouring in from friends and collaborators like Zedd and Paris Hilton. Zedd, who worked with Payne on the 2017 track “Get Low,” posted on X, “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking …,” while Paris Hilton wrote, “So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing … Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”

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