A social media account posting distressing pictures of Liam Payne's body has come under fire from angry fans.
The One Direction star died after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday (October 16), sustaining "very serious injuries incompatible with life." Officials say Liam fell from a height of 13-14m and died instantly.
Now, images of the singer's body have appeared on an X (formerly Twitter) account, with fans now urging bosses at the social network to have the poster removed. The photos, which have since been deleted, showed Liam in the moments after his death in the hotel's inner courtyard.
Taking to the social network, one fan branded the account – which the Daily Star has chosen not to name – a "piece of s***." "You're f***ing sick," they added.
"Reporting!!!! That's actually horrific," said another. Meanwhile a third agreed: "Please report this freak [redacted], they posted pictures of Liam's body but deleted them now. Report them. DO NOT interact with them."
Another wrote: "You're posting awful pictures. his son may see those in a few years and be traumatised for life. You f***er." "Go and REPORT this account!!! [redacted], it's inhumane to post such a photo," said a fifth.
It's not the first time images of Liam's body have been shared with the public in the wake of his death. American celebrity news outlet TMZ shared less graphic snaps of the star, claiming they did so to identify him to readers. The photos have since been removed.
Speaking to Fox 5 New York, TMZ executive producer Michael Babcock said: "There's a balance, and that's obviously a conversation that newsrooms across the world have – you want to be sensitive to the family and to the friends and also while working a news story.
"When the information was coming in, police had not yet confirmed that it was Liam, so what was done on the TMZ website, there was an image – did not show the full image, didn't show his face – but that showed his arm and his abdomen, where he has some very recognisable tattoos, so that's sort of used as a way to confirm, or to match up the tattoos at a point where police had not yet confirmed his identity. And then, once they did, obviously, that photo was removed."
Babcock went on to call Liam's death "terribly horrific and sad", adding Liam had "so much life left to live."
Following the news of his death, Liam's ex Cheryl – with whom he shared a seven-year-old son, Bear – urged mourners to remember Liam was a "human being" as well as a pop star. "What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past few days," she said on Instagram.
A forensic report found Liam suffered 25 injuries during the fall. Experts found no defensive injuries, that all the injuries on the body were life-threatening and produced at the same time, and that no injuries were observed that would suggest the intervention of third parties.
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
English (US) ·