Liam Payne’s Death Photos Removed by TMZ After Backlash

Hours after Liam Payne’s death, TMZ posted—and then deleted—photos of his deceased body. The photos showed parts of the One Direction member’s arm and waist, which were covered in identifying tattoos, such as a clock and a scorpion.

“TMZ obtained a photo showing Liam’s body on a wooden deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby,” TMZ’s article read. “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 also published a photo of a police tent put up over Payne’s body to block it from photographers and the public. After backlash from fans and the music industry—including singer Alessia Cara who called TMZ “gross”—the site removed the photos from the post and edited the article to read: “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body.”

Payne died on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Policía Federal Argentina confirmed. In a statement trsnslated from Spanish, Alberto Crescenti, the head of Buenos Aires’ public emergency medical services system SAME, told Argentine news channel TN that Payne fell into the hotel’s internal courtyard, where he died from his injuries.

SAME verified Payne’s death at around 5:11 p.m. local time, according to Crescenti, who also confirmed that Payne’s injuries from his fall were so severe that there “was no possibility of resuscitation.” Payne is survived by his son, Bear Grey, whom he shared with his ex-girlfriend and Girls Aloud member, Cheryl. Read on for photos of fans outside the hotel where Payne died and police and forensic workers arriving to she scene of his accident.