Ellen Pompeo Blasts TMZ Over Coverage Of Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash: ‘You Are Disgusting’
Ellen Pompeo has never been one to keep her feelings hidden, but she came out guns blazing on Tuesday to call out TMZ for its coverage of the tragic helicopter crash on Sunday that took the life of former L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter.
In a lengthy Twitter rant, the “Grey’s Anatomy” star blasts the gossip site for its handling of reporting details of the crash before segueing into criticizing TMZ’s journalistic practices and the double standard she sees about the way the site reports on men and women.
As Pompeo points out, TMZ was the first outlet to report that Bryant had been killed — and took heat for reporting the news before authorities even had the chance to inform the late NBA legend’s family, sparking outrage in Los Angeles.
“I wonder why police departments give @HarveyLevinTMZ all this sensitive info,” wrote Pompeo, adding, “I wonder why @HarveyLevinTMZ puts out photos of women who have been attacked or assaulted…. Who were victims ? Exploiting women who have been abused… why is this guy still in business at all?”
She continued by describing “exploiting the brutal sudden death of people’s loved ones” as “emotional abuse,” adding, “I call time’s up on this behaviour.”
Pompeo’s entire Twitter thread can be seen below:
@HarveyLevinTMZ you are disgusting …. #BoycottTMZ IT’S TIME FOR FOX TO CANCEL TMZ AFTER WHAT THEY DID TO KOBE’S FAMILY – Sign the Petition!
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
I wonder why police departments give @HarveyLevinTMZ all this sensitive info ? I wonder why @HarveyLevinTMZ puts out photos of women who have been attacked or assaulted. …Who were victims ? Exploiting women who have been abused… why is this guy still in business at all?
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
So many questions I have …if we are not tolerating abuse anymore… shouldn’t we be calling this out? Exploiting women who have been abused… exploiting the brutal sudden death of peoples loved ones is certainly emotional abuse… I call times up on his behavior
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
We should be furious about the history of this media outlet regarding women… it’s not news it’s exploitation
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
So many peoples lives will never be the same after this tragedy… but you got your scoop. Hope you sleep well at night @HarveyLevinTMZ I’m sure you do…
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
I think the first responders were a little busy… we don’t go after first responders we celebrate them… they are real heros and I work with so many of them and they are discreet and amazing. Steady streams of info come from steady streams of cash maybe? Just a question ?
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
All just questions to provoke thought… what is the purpose of this kind of media?
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
For decades tabloid media emotionally abuses women and we are their biggest audience
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
This is exactly the question… how did they report it before law enforcement got to the families? It’s not really that hard to figure out
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
the airline employees get paid because let me tell you there are very specific airlines who always have paps and very specific ones that don’t
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
It is!!! and what I’m saying is that there is a history with this outlet specific specifically having pictures and having stories that only the police have
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 28, 2020
And that is what you call …wait for it…white male privilege! He simply says a “friend” in law enforcement told him 1st &somehow because he is a white man saying it it makes it okay w you youre defending him. WTF would law enforcement tell him anything?
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 29, 2020
He has built an Empire on making a lot of the lapd and sheriffs his friends…. that’s why he gets all the info. Get it? He gets every story first why do you think that is?
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 29, 2020
And what’s more annoying than anything is that he knows that simpleton excuse is enough like everyone is an idiot…and he’s not entirely wrong there are a lot of them
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 29, 2020
This is what reported and why they started a petition
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 29, 2020
You know what I want to know? How come Harvey Levin doesn’t know who killed Tupac or Biggie?
😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) January 29, 2020
While Levin hasn’t responded to Pompeo directly, he gave a radio interview in which he defended himself, alleging that he had been given permission to release the info by “Kobe’s people.”
Levin further claimed that he had been tipped off by local law enforcement about the crash, but held off for a full hour before releasing the information.
