TMZ, the Hollywood-obsessed news outlet known for its coverage of celebrities, drew a flood of criticism for publishing an image purporting to show the body of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who died in a fatal fall on Wednesday. The site later removed the image.

TMZ is facing backlash for posting what it alleged were photos of Liam Payne‘s body while covering the singer’s tragic death. The tabloid has since removed the pictures from the article. Many users on X (formerly Twitter) have accused the outlet of negligence by posting the pictures,

The decision to publish images from the scene of the former One Direction star's death has been widely condemned online, but the US gossip site's executive producer has defended the move