Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni slams TMZ for publishing Liam Payne death photos

Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni criticized TMZ for publishing photos of Liam Payne’s body, while reminding fans that the outlet’s journalists also shared snapshots of her father’s remains after his death in 2017.

The 20-year-old criticized the outlet’s decision to circulate since-deleted photos of Payne as “disgusting” and spoke about her own exposure to “indescribably traumatizing” photos of her father, who committed suicide when she was 12.

Payne died at the age of 31 on Wednesday after falling from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hours later, TMZ shared a photo showing parts of her body including her arm, waist and tattoos.

The daughter of Audioslave singer Cornell took to Instagram Stories over the weekend to criticize the publication of the photo, along with other images showing the One Direction star’s hotel room during his final days.

“In the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic passing, I feel compelled to speak out about the disgusting and distressing photos published by TMZ, which include graphic images of his hotel room and his body,” Toni wrote to her 203,000 followers.

‘After seeing those photos, I can’t help but reflect on my own experience when TMZ also published graphic images of my father’s death.

‘When I was 12, I came across those images while browsing my iPad, and it was indescribably traumatizing, and it’s something I still carry with me to this day.

‘TMZ still hasn’t chosen to have the decency, seven years later, to remove those photos from the Internet, and it’s something I think should be done.

“Although Liam’s images have since been deleted, that doesn’t mean anything.

“They should never have been housed in the first place, and it breaks my heart to think that their seven-year-old son, Bear, could one day find themselves with them and suffer exactly as I did.”

Toni accused TMZ of “choosing sensationalism over basic human decency.”

“This is not how an artist or a father should be remembered,” he wrote. ‘I’m sending so much love and support to Liam’s family and loved ones during this incredibly painful time. Rest in peace, Liam.

Toni’s father, known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, died by suicide on May 18, 2017 at the age of 52.

TMZ has since removed Payne’s photo, although executive producer Michael Babcock also defended the decision to publish it in the first place.

Babcock said the image was shared in an attempt to confirm reports that the singer had died before police established his identity.

“There’s a balance, and that’s obviously a conversation that newsrooms around the world are having: You have to be sensitive to family and friends and also while you’re working on a story,” Babcock told Fox 5 New York.

“When the information came in, the police had not yet confirmed that it was Liam, so what was done on the TMZ website, there was a picture, it didn’t show the full picture, it didn’t show his face, but it showed his arm and abdomen, where he has some very recognizable tattoos, so it is used as a way to confirm or match tattoos at a point where the police had not yet confirmed his identity.

And then once they did, obviously, that photo was deleted.

‘I mean, it’s just a terribly horrible, sad story. “It’s something that obviously shouldn’t have happened, this guy had a lot of life left to live and you feel terrible for everyone.”

The decision drew widespread criticism from celebrities, including former X Factor contestant Rylan Clark, who called TMZ a “disgrace,” and pop star Alesia Cara, who called the outlet “disgusting.”

payne died from ‘multiple injuries’, according to the postmortem examination.