TMZ is being called out by fans and followers who believe the new outlet’s staffers were laughing and cheering in the background on a livestream when Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday. TMZ chief Harvey Levin denied the accusations, but fans are not satisfied by his explanation for the cheers and laughter.
The on-air incident occurred a few seconds before Levin announced on the show that reports had been released saying that Charlie Kirk did not survive the shooting.
Almost immediately, TMZ was flooded with upset fans who were disgusted that the TMZ staffers could be heard in the background cheering and clapping just as news broke that Kirk had died of his injuries.
With the outrage of viewers mounting, Levin and his co-host and producer Charles Latibeaudiere posted a video explaining that their staffers were not cheering for Kirk’s murder, but were instead cheering over video of a police car chase that had ended in the apprehension of the suspect. But Levin and Latibeaudiere admitted that the cheering was “tone deaf” and they apologized for the misperception.
Of note, TMZ’s explanation video on X has the comments turned off and only select people can comment.
That “car chase” explanation may have assuaged some, but social media user Peggy Bolton cast serious doubt on the theory when she looked at the timing of the chase compared to the timing of the announcement of Charlie Kirk’s death. Bolton found that the timing of the two incidents did not line up in a way that would make TMZ’s explanation make sense.
Bolton’s video also appears to show that an announcer for ABC 7 told viewers that Charlie Kirk was dead before the car chase ended and that announcement coincided with the cheering.
While TMZ maintains that there were no inappropriate cheers upon the breaking news of Charlie Kirk’s death, many fans are not satisfied with the TMZ’s explanation. And thousands took to social media to declare that they will never watch or support TMZ again.
TMZ’s X feed has been inundated with users blasting the outlet for the cheering. Many are calling for a boycott of TMZ.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: Facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston, or at X/Twitter @WTHuston
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