History of TMZ in Timeline

TMZ is a tabloid news organization focusing on entertainment and celebrity news. It was founded in 2005 as a joint venture between AOL and Telepictures (Warner Bros.). In 2009, AOL was divested and on September 13, 2021, Fox Corporation acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia for $50 million. It is known for its fast-paced reporting and paparazzi-style coverage of celebrities.

1967: Playboy Photoshoot

In 1967, a Playboy photoshoot was conducted that was later mistaken for John F. Kennedy and published by TMZ in 2009.

November 8, 2005: TMZ Debut

On November 8, 2005, TMZ, an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization, debuted as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros.

2005: TMZ Signs Charter Advertisers

Since 2005, TMZ signed New Line Cinema, Hilton Hotels, Chrysler, and Revlon as charter advertisers to its website.

2006: Telepictures Revenue from TMZ in 2006

In 2006, Telepictures received US$3.0 million from TMZ.

June 20, 2007: TMZ Faces Contempt Motion for Publishing O.J. Simpson Manuscript

On June 20, 2007, a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee filed an emergency motion requesting that the TMZ website be held in contempt for publishing the entire manuscript of "If I Did It", O. J. Simpson's purportedly fictionalized account of the murder of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson.

September 10, 2007: TMZ on TV Launched

On September 10, 2007, TMZ launched an accompanying television series, TMZ on TV, which airs Monday through Fridays.

Loading Video...

September 2007: Criticism of TMZ from The Cornell Daily Sun

In September 2007, Tony Manfred of The Cornell Daily Sun criticized TMZ, calling it "a fusion of celebrity news blog and embarrassing video archive" and the "poster child for the celebrity pseudo-news industry."

October 2, 2007: Stolen Indiana Jones Production Photos

On October 2, 2007, IESB reported that production photos and sensitive documents pertaining to the production budget of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had been stolen from Steven Spielberg's production office.

Loading Video...

October 3, 2007: TMZ Broadcasts Indiana Jones Production Budget Details

Shortly after IESB broke the story of stolen Indiana Jones documents, TMZ broadcast details about the Indiana Jones production budget on its show on October 3, 2007, after lawyers from Paramount Pictures intervened.

Loading Video...

2007: Telepictures Revenue from TMZ in 2007

In 2007, Telepictures received US$9.6 million from TMZ.

October 2008: TMZ Viewership Exceeds 10 Million

In October 2008, The New York Times reported that TMZ was receiving more than 10 million viewers every month.

2008: TMZ's 2008 Revenue

In 2008, TMZ's revenue was US$25.4 million.

September 30, 2009: Telepictures Revenue from TMZ

For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, Telepictures received payments of US$6.2 million related to TMZ's revenue.

November 2009: TMZ's Revenue Publicly Disclosed

In November 2009, TMZ's revenue was publicly disclosed for the first time, revealing that Telepictures received payments of US$6.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009.

2009: Rumors of TMZ Sports Site

As early as 2009, there were rumors of Harvey Levin's interest in creating a TMZ-branded sports site.

2009: TMZ Publishes Fake Kennedy Photo

In 2009, TMZ published an "exclusive" picture on their website of a man purported to be John F. Kennedy with naked women that later found not to be of Kennedy. It was part of a 1967 Playboy photoshoot.

2009: Time Warner Divests AOL

In 2009, Time Warner divested AOL, affecting TMZ's ownership structure as it was initially a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros.

March 2010: Initial Expected Launch of TMZ Sports Site

The TMZ sports site was initially expected to launch in March 2010, but those plans did not materialize.

December 24, 2010: TMZ Blocks Traffic From the UK

On December 24, 2010, TMZ began blocking traffic from the UK, citing "legal restrictions" related to English defamation law.

December 31, 2010: Workaround for TMZ Block in the UK

On December 31, 2010, Popbitch Board noted that the block on TMZ in the UK could be circumvented by using Google Translate.

January 7, 2011: TMZ Access Restored in the UK

As of January 7, 2011, TMZ became accessible again in the UK.

March 2012: TMZ Live Tested on Fox Stations

In March 2012, Fox Television Stations tested a syndicated broadcast of TMZ Live on its television stations in Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Loading Video...

May 29, 2012: Death of TMZ Co-Founder Jim Paratore

On May 29, 2012, Jim Paratore, co-founder of TMZ, died of a heart attack during a cycling trip in France. He was known for his television production work at Telepictures.

June 2012: TMZ Live to Air on SiriusXM Radio

In June 2012, SiriusXM Radio announced that TMZ Live would be aired daily on its Sirius XM Stars channel.

Loading Video...

December 18, 2012: TMZ France Created

On December 18, 2012, TMZ France was created.

January 13, 2013: TMZ Posts Video of Andre Lowe Attack

On January 13, 2013, a TMZ reporter filmed the attack of Andre Lowe outside a Hollywood nightclub, and the video was posted to the website without the family's permission.

March 15, 2013: Conflicting Reports on Lil Wayne's Condition

On March 15, 2013, TMZ reported that Lil Wayne was in "unstable" condition and in an induced coma following a seizure, which was soon contradicted by Birdman and Lil Wayne himself.

June 2013: TMZ Sports Site Launched

In June 2013, TMZ Sports eventually launched as a branded section on the main TMZ website.

September 9, 2013: TMZ Live Airs on All Fox Owned-and-Operated Stations

On September 9, 2013, TMZ Live began airing on all 18 Fox owned-and-operated stations.

Loading Video...

October 2013: TMZ Sports Radio Show Launched

Premiere Networks launched a daily TMZ Sports radio show in October 2013.

January 2014: TMZ Sports Television Show Test Marketing

In January 2014, a TMZ Sports television show began test marketing on select regional Fox stations.

2014: TMZ Live Syndication Expands

In the spring of 2014, TMZ Live began to be syndicated to stations outside of the Fox Television Stations group.

Loading Video...

February 2015: "The Loser's Circle" Segment Introduced

In February 2015, "The Loser's Circle" segment was introduced on the Friday edition of the webcast (the Monday edition on the television broadcast), featuring Levin, Latibeaudiere, and Evan Rosenblum judging a clip from a TMZ videographer.

April 2015: Segment Shifts on TMZ Webcast

In April 2015, "Tim's Rejects" and "Hate Mail" were shifted to the block preceding the "Viewer's Choice" segment on the TMZ webcast.

November 9, 2015: TMZ Sports Moves to Fox Sports 1

On November 9, 2015, the TMZ Sports series reverted to being known as TMZ Sports and moved to Fox Sports 1. The show is co-hosted by Michael Babcock, Renee Montgomery, and Mojo Muhtadi.

Loading Video...

2016: TMZ Alerted to Alleged Abuse and Divorce

During the defamation trial against Amber Heard, it was pointed out that TMZ had been alerted of the alleged abuse and the upcoming divorce in 2016.

2016: Criticism over Levin's Support for Trump

In 2016, TMZ faced internal criticism due to Harvey Levin's support for Donald Trump in the run-up to the United States presidential election.

July 2017: TMZ Reports on Chester Bennington's Suicide Attempt

Following the July 2017 suicide of Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, TMZ reported that he had attempted to drown himself nine months earlier, drawing criticism from his widow, Talinda Bennington.

May 2018: TMZ Reports Details of Avicii's Suicide

In May 2018, TMZ reported intimate details of Avicii's April suicide with the headline "Avicii's suicide caused by self-inflicted cuts from glass", drawing criticism for sensationalism.

January 26, 2020: TMZ Reports Kobe Bryant's Death First

On January 26, 2020, TMZ was the first news outlet to report on the death of basketball player Kobe Bryant, receiving criticism for reporting the story before next of kin were notified and for leaking photos of the crash site.

2020: Allegations of Racist and Misogynistic Workplace Culture

By 2020, dozens of former TMZ employees had spoken to the media about a racist and misogynistic workplace culture that TMZ's internal leadership was unwilling to change.

September 13, 2021: Fox Corporation Acquires TMZ

On September 13, 2021, Fox Corporation acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia for $50 million.

May 24, 2022: TMZ Files Emergency Motion in Depp-Heard Trial

On May 24, 2022, TMZ, through EHM Productions Inc, filed an Emergency Motion to prevent a former employee from testifying in the defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard; the motion was denied.

October 26, 2022: TMZ Incorrectly Reports Jerry Lee Lewis's Death

On October 26, 2022, TMZ incorrectly reported that Jerry Lee Lewis had died, issuing a correction a few hours later.

August 22, 2024: TMZ Incorrectly Reports Beyoncé's DNC Appearance

On August 22, 2024, TMZ incorrectly reported that Beyoncé would appear on the final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, leading to widespread mockery after Beyoncé's representative denied the report.

October 16, 2024: TMZ Posts Photos of Liam Payne's Body

On October 16, 2024, TMZ drew controversy for posting pictures of Liam Payne's identifying tattoos on his dead body as well as the scene of the hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The photos were later taken down after a social media backlash.

September 10, 2025: Controversy over TMZ's Reaction to Charlie Kirk Shooting Report

On September 10, 2025, TMZ faced heavy criticism for loud cheering and clapping heard in the newsroom during a live report about the shooting of Charlie Kirk, seconds before Harvey Levin announced that Kirk had died. TMZ later apologized.