American gossip website TMZ criticised for publishing images of Liam Payne’s body

Liam Payne, who rose to fame as a member of X Factor pop band One Direction
Liam Payne, who rose to fame as a member of X Factor pop band One Direction - Andrew Chin/Getty Images

The American gossip website TMZ has been criticised for publishing images of the dead body of Liam Payne.

The singer died at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.

Pictures of Payne, who rose to fame as a member of the pop group One Direction, were uploaded to the outlet’s website before being removed following a backlash. They showed his arm, waist and tattoos as well as the police tent set up over his body.

The article read: “TMZ obtained a photo showing Liam’s body on a wooden deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby. 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 site quickly removed the photos after widespread criticism from people who called the decision to publish them “a disgrace”. The article was amended to say: “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body on the deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby.

“You can clearly see his tattoos – a clock on his left forearm and a scorpion on his abdomen – which helped us confirm early reports from witnesses.”

Rylan Clark, the former X factor contestant, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “And TMZ f---ing shame on you. Disgrace.”

Police were already at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel at the time of Payne’s death, having received reports of an aggressive man who was thought to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

An audio recording of the 911 call to emergency services revealed the hotel desk manager pleading for urgent help.

In the recording, he says: “I’m calling from CasaSur Palermo, we have a guest who is high on drugs and alcohol. When he’s conscious, he’s smashing up his entire room. So you need to send someone, please.

“You need to send someone with urgency because I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. He’s in a room with a balcony and we were afraid he could do something that threatens his life.”

Officers were called to the hotel at 5.04pm local time (9.04pm UK) before Payne was pronounced dead at 5.11pm. It is unclear whether he fell or jumped to his death.

X / @todonoticias

One Direction fans gathered outside the building to remember the singer, with many leaving flowers and lighting candles.

Olly Murs, who starred on the X Factor a year before One Direction, was among the celebrities paying tribute to Payne, saying he was “lost for words”.

Payne is thought to have been on holiday in Argentina with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, an online influencer he had been dating since October 2022.

One Direction fans light candles outside of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires
One Direction fans light candles outside of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires - Anadolu/Getty Images

In the days before his death, he attended a concert by Niall Horan, one of his former One Direction bandmates, at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on Oct 2.

The five-strong band found success after competing on X Factor in 2010 and had several worldwide hits before splitting in 2016.

Payne had previously spoken of an addiction to “booze and pills” and a struggle with his mental health since finding fame.