Though the site is known to push ethical boundaries in obtaining its traffic-friendly scoops, it's a line that even it does not typically cross.

The former One Direction star fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. Following the news of his death, policed arrived at the scene after an emergency call, and one officer in charge said he heard a loud sound in the inner courtyard when they reached.

Following huge backlash, TMZ decided to remove previously published photos of the body of Liam Payne, just hours after the singer had been found dead at a hotel in Argentina. Now, an exec at the publication has defended the initial decision to share the pictures, and explained why he did so.