ABC News has apologized for showing aerial shots of Robin Williams‘ home after news of the star’s death Monday.
The network’s online shots of the home near San Francisco outraged fans who called the images an egregious invasion of his family’s privacy.
“When we realized there was no news value to the live stream, we took it down immediately,” ABC News said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Our intention was not to be insensitive to his family, friends and fans, and for that we apologize.”
After news broke of the Oscar-winning actor’s death by apparent suicide Monday, his family released a statement asking for privacy. Soon after, ABC News displayed a red banner on its homepage reading, “Watch Live: Aerials of Robin Williams‘ Home.”
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Screenshots of the banner, which could be seen above an article noting the family’s request for privacy, quickly went viral. Williams’ fans and others immediately began venting their outrage online.