TMZ came under fire during their coverage of the shooting and subsequent death of Charlie Kirk.
On Wednesday, September 10, a video circulated on social media taken within the TMZ offices. Several members of TMZ were heard clapping and laughing. Now, TMZ has issued a public apology claiming that the reaction of TMZ members “wasn’t about him.”
TMZ Claims Laughter Was a Reaction to a Different News Event
GettyCharlie Kirk, 31, was attending an event at Utah Valley University. During the event, he was shot. He was immediately taken to the hospital and pronounced dead a few short hours later.
TMZ was live-streaming their coverage of this news story, and has now released a statement about the video that features people in their building clapping and laughing.
“We want to address something that happened during our TMZ Livestream coverage of the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” their statement began. “As Harvey and Charles were reporting the developments in our newsroom, there were employees in another part of the building watching a car chase. The people watching that car chase began laughing and clapping in reaction to what they were seeing.”
“But we want to make it clear … they were not cheering in response to the assassination.”
“Nevertheless … watching a car chase at that moment was tone deaf, and the sounds of laughter at that crucial moment were totally out of line,” TMZ continues. “We apologize to anyone who heard that, as we were in the middle of covering such a tragic story.”
Social Media Reacts to TMZ Apology
The reaction to the initial video in question was strong. However, the response to the apology (and apology video) is varied.
One user on X wrote, “This is actually a pretty great and sincere apology from TMZ after laughter was heard during their stream about the Charlie Kirk assassination.”
“I think this is a sincere and genuine apology,” wrote another user.
Another user on X pointed out the sincerity of the apology, “I don’t care how they feel about Charlie Kirk either way, but despite many understandably angry people’s hesitation to believe them, this sounds sincere.”
“The fact that they took the time to post an apology is more than most liberal news would do.”
However, not everyone saw the apology video the same way, “Tone Deaf? Nah, Harvey Levin. Your staff was caught laughing at the assassination of another human being. We already know your team thinks murders and the downfall of celebrities are for pure entertainment. Save your apologies. No one is buying it.”
What did you think of the TMZ apology?