T.I. burns TMZ, calls for a boycott after breaking news of his sister’s cause of death

The hip hop star and entrepreneur had sharp words for the website and its founder Harvey Levin for posting documents related to his sister's passing

Kia Morgan-Smith

Jun 7, 2019

T.I. with The Gathering Spot Co-Founder Ryan Wilson. (Photo credit: The Gathering Spot & John Walder Photography)

T.I dropped the diss of a lifetime when he blasted TMZ and called for a boycott of the news outlet after they broke the news of his late sister Precious Harris’ cause of death.

The rapper posted a powerful video calling out TMZ’s founder, Harvey Levin for green-lighting the story that outlined Harris’ cause of death that included medical documents about her condition that also revealed cocaine was in her system when she died in a fatal crash

“As long as you’ve known me, Harvey, I’ve been respectful, I’ve been cordial, I’ve been polite, I’ve been kind and I’ve been fair,” he said. “You just burned that bridge. I hope your story was worth it. You just burned that bridge. To not just me, but everybody around me. All my family. Anybody who stand with me and who stand with Precious, will not stand for you.”

Note: Video contains explicit language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8252U4ct4

The video goes on to call on his friends, his wife Tameka “Tiney” Harris, her group Xscape, the Greek organization Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and his industry friends to silence the outlet and boycott them.

It didn’t take long before the news outlet walked back its story and apologized by saying they got it “wrong.”

“T.I. and his family are hurt and furious, and they have a point,” the outlet said. “We got this wrong and we regret posting the M.E.’s findings.”

The original article has also been pulled from the site.

With their apology, TMZ also outlined Harris’ charitable efforts and the breadth of her work in her community helping children.

Harris reportedly “hit a pole, which triggered an asthma attack.

Harris, often appeared on T.I.’s VH-1 show Family Hustle.

But she was also active in her community as TMZ outlined:

“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.

In her efforts connected to Saving Our Daughters, she helped girls overcome the many obstacles they face growing up — bullying, dating abuse, domestic violence and more.