Showbiz website TMZ removes photos of Liam Payne’s dead body after fan anger

Showbiz website TMZ faced backlash from fans after it published photos of Liam Payne’s corpse.

The US publication shared photos showing the singer’s arm, waist and tattoos to confirm reports that he had died after falling from a balcony at a hotel in Argentina.

An image of the police tent set up over Liam’s body at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires was also published.

The article read: “TMZ has obtained a photo showing Liam’s body on a wooden deck at the hotel with tables and chairs next to it.

“We don’t show the whole body, but you can clearly see his tattoo: a clock on his left forearm and a scorpion on his stomach.”

However, TMZ quickly removed the photos after an angry outcry from fans and celebrities who branded it a ‘disgrace’.

The celebrity news website then edited the copy to say: ‘TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body on the deck of the hotel, with tables and chairs nearby.

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

Former X Factor contestant Rylan Clark criticized the decision to publish the photos.

He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘And TMZ f*** shame on you. Shame.’

Pop star Alesia Cara added: ‘You’re dirty @TMZ’

The former One Direction star died after falling from the third floor in the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo district.

Police were contacted by a hotel employee who reported “an aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”

Shortly afterwards, workers heard a loud noise in the hotel courtyard before the Wolverhampton-born singer’s body was discovered just after 5pm local time.

According to local media, the star allegedly ‘behaved erratically in the hotel lobby and broke his laptop’ before having to be ‘carried back to his room’.

Payne rose to fame at the age of 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 as forensic examiners entered and exited the premises wearing white hazmat suits and blue gloves.

They lit candles and decorated 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 employee urgently requesting help with a drunken guest, according to audio material on the case obtained from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security.

The worker said, “If he’s conscious, he’ll destroy the whole room and we need you to send someone.”

Emergency Medical Services Director Alberto Crescenti said Payne “suffered very serious injuries after falling from a third floor into a courtyard.”

“We verified his identity using the passport he had,” he added.

His body was taken to a local mortuary where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

Payne had arrived in Argentina earlier this month to attend his ex-bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.

In the star’s latest Snapchat post, he happily posed with his partner Kate Cassidy as they looked in the mirror – a photo originally taken last August.

Further reports from the final moments of Payne’s life showed him enjoying lunch in his hotel room, where he revealed the pair “woke up at 1pm every day” and decided to choose Forest Gump as their Halloween costume.

Payne formed boy band One Direction in 2010, along with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, after individually auditioning for The X Factor.

After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.