AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE PAYNE’S DEATH
As police and prosecutors await the results of the toxicology report, they are continuing the investigation and trying to reconstruct Payne’s final moments. Authorities said they took statements from three hotel employees and two women who had visited Payne in his hotel room hours before his fall. The two women had left the hotel by the time of the incident, the prosecution said.
PAYNE’S DEATH SPARK MEDIA ETHICS QUESTIONS AS FAKE CONTENT SWIRLS
TMZ, a celebrity news site known for its scoops and tabloid sensibilities, initially included cropped photos of Payne’s body after the fall that featured his identifying tattoos in their early reporting Wednesday. After receiving swift backlash, the site pulled the photos.
In the updated version of the story, the outlet wrote, “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body on the deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby” and proceeded to describe the tattoos and how the image helped to confirm early reports of Payne’s death.
Fans took to social media to express outrage at the outlet for its decision to share the photos.
TMZ did not immediately return requests for comment.
The photos are still circulating on social media, as well as a video of a man jumping from a building on fire that users are mistakenly taking as a video of Payne’s fall. Several other videos of falls or jumps from balconies have been circulating, as well. X’s “community notes” feature, where readers can provide context and – in this case – debunk falsely represented content, are present on several, but not all posts.
