Showbiz website TMZ has faced backlash from fans after it posted photos of Liam Payne’s dead body.
The American publication shared images showing the singer’s arm, waist and tattoos to confirm the versions that he had died after falling from the balcony of a hotel in Argentina.
An image of the police tent that was set up over Liam’s body at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires was also published.
The article said: ‘TMZ obtained a photo showing Liam’s body on a wooden deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby.
“We don’t show his entire body, but you can clearly see his tattoo: a clock on his left forearm and a scorpion on his abdomen.”
However, TMZ quickly removed the photos following a furious outcry from fans and celebrities who called them a “disgrace.”
One of Liam Payne’s last selfies in Buenos Aires was captioned: “Beautiful day in Argentina.”
A fire ambulance leaves the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires with Payne’s body
Crowds of fans descended on the scene in Buenos Aires following the death of Liam Payne.
Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, posted a photo of the couple on her Instagram last August.
The celebrity news website also later amended the copy to say: ‘TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body on the hotel terrace 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 the first witness reports.”
Former X Factor contestant Rylan Clark criticized the decision to release the photos.
He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘And TMZ, damn, what a shame. Misfortune.’
Pop star Alesia Cara added: “You’re disgusting @TMZ”
The former One Direction star died after falling from a third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood.
A hotel staff member contacted police and reported “an aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
Shortly afterwards, workers heard a loud sound in the hotel courtyard before the Wolverhampton-born singer’s body was discovered shortly after 5pm local time.
The star was said to have been “acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop” before he “had to be taken back to his room”, according to local media.
Fans place candles outside the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday.
Liam Payne performs at the Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on October 13, 2018.
Forensic teams comb the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires where Payne fell to his death
Payne rose to stardom aged 16 after forming boy band One Direction on The X Factor in 2010 alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles.
Shocked fans gathered outside after police cordoned off the area and forensic investigators were seen coming and going in white protective suits and blue gloves.
They were seen lighting candles and decorating the roadside with flowers at an impromptu vigil as they paid tribute to the beloved music star.
Police in Argentina had received a call from a hotel worker requesting urgent help for a drunk guest, according to audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security.
The worker said: “When he is conscious, he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone.”
The director of emergency medical services, Alberto Crescenti, said Payne had suffered “very serious injuries after falling from a third floor into an interior courtyard.”
“We verified his identity using the passport he had,” he added.
His body was taken to the local morgue where an autopsy will be performed.
(From left) Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Niall Horan of One Direction in 2015
Emergency services arrive at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires after Payne was found dead
(From left) Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan (seated) Liam Payne and Harry Styles in 2010
Emergency services arrive at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires after Payne was found dead
One Direction and Liam Payne fans gather outside the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires
Payne had arrived in Argentina earlier this month to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.
The star’s latest Snapchat post showed him happily posing with partner Kate Cassidy as they looked in the mirror, a photo that was originally taken last August.
Other posts from the final moments of Payne’s life showed him enjoying lunch in his hotel room, where he revealed that the couple had “woken up at 1pm every day” and decided on Forest Gump as their Halloween costume. .
Payne formed the boy band One Direction in 2010, alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor.
After becoming one of the world’s biggest pop groups with five albums and four world tours, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.