TMZ head Harvey Levin says 'Kobe’s people' gave them permission to report on NBA star and his daughter's death
Amid increasing scrutiny over TMZ's news coverage of Kobe Bryant's death, the founder of the outlet, Harvey Levin, on Tuesday, said they had received permission from "Kobe's people" to break the news of the NBA legend's helicopter crash.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend, 41, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday, January 26. The chopper was carrying his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others. None survived the fatal crash. TMZ was the first outlet to break the tragic news, however, the tabloid news website received heavy criticism from law enforcement officials for publishing the story of Bryant's death before the authorities could notify the victims' families.
Levin, however, defended his website in an interview with LA radio station KNX’s 'In-Depth', saying that the outlet dealt with the NBA star's representatives and received permission before publishing the news.
“We dealt with Kobe’s people… and we were told very clearly that she had been notified,” Levin said, appearing to refer to Bryant’s widow Vanessa. When he was asked about confirming for permission with the families of other victims in the crash, Levin responded with: "That is a fair point."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, in a press conference on Sunday, called the outlet's practice “extremely disrespectful” and “wholly inappropriate.” The Sheriff said: "It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one perished and you learn about it from TMZ. That is just wholly inappropriate."
Levin, in his explanation, said that he had initially received the tip from a longtime law enforcement source and then called Bryant's representatives. He added that the outlet was in touch with the reps for nearly an hour.
“We were dealing with them for an hour before we published the story and they said ‘go for it,'” the TMZ head said. When asked about the sheriff's statement, Levin reiterated his statement: "We confirmed it… and they said go for it and they said she knew. So I’m not sure what he’s saying on that. We’re not law enforcement and he’s not a journalist. We do different things."
Villanueva's deputy Tim Murakami also slammed the outlet as he took to Twitter to write that he was “saddened that I was gathering facts as a media outlet reported ... Kobe had passed. I understand getting the scoop but please allow us time to make personal notifications to their loved ones," he wrote. "It’s very cold to hear of the loss via media. Breaks my heart."