T.I. says TMZ went too far by reporting on his sister’s cause of death. Following the initial report on June 6, 2019, T.I. took to social media to share his displeasure.
“I have a message for TMZ, Harvey Levin and all y’all who see fit to run a story about my loved one,” T.I. said while speaking on Instagram Live.
“For a long time, y’all have been profiting off of people’s pain. Y’all put out info that disrupts their grieving process. For the most part, we look the other way because those people are celebrities. Nobody feels sorry for celebrities. When you say something about me, I just go cry on a bag of money. But this is my family, this ain’t no celebrity. This ain’t no mother f—ing superstar. As long as you’ve known me, Harvey, I’ve been respectful and fair. You just burned that bridge. I hope that story was worth it.”
On Feb. 22, Precious Harris, 66, died after suffering injuries from a car crash.
TMZ apologized in a statement in an article posted hours after T.I.’s initial comments. The statement read, in part: “We posted a story on T.I.’s sister Precious Harris … we were wrong to do it. T.I. and his family are hurt and furious, and they have a point.
“Precious was a vital member in her community throughout her life. She was a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She mentored children and young women in need over the years. She was an ambassador for Saving Our Daughters, a nonprofit created by parents Curtis and Debbie Benjamin, who lost their child to a brain tumor.”