The sudden death of Matthew Perry on Saturday brought an ongoing issue into the spotlight that musician Wolfgang Van Halen wants called out once and for all. The guitarist has slammed the press for its handling of the death of his father, Eddie Van Halen, as well as the Friends star.
When someone dies, there is a protocol that calls for family members to be alerted before the deceased’s family can be alerted. Some outlets have been criticized for deviating from this procedure, such as with Kobe Bryant. With Perry, news reportedly had not been in the public record yet when TMZ reported his death. Wolfgang is slamming this reporting and others.
Wolfgang Van Halen slams the handling of news about Matthew Perry
Daily reminder that TMZ is scum https://t.co/4odTof0PtN
— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 30, 2023
Wolfgang has been very vocal online about his disapproval in the handling of news related to Perry. “Daily reminder that TMZ is scum,” he said on Twitter, commenting on a post he reshared that reads “TMZ taking pictures of Matthew Perry’s parents arriving at the house is without exaggeration Nightcrawler level psychopathy.”
RELATED: Wolfgang Van Halen Speaks Candidly On Mental Health Struggles
Earlier this week, footage circulated showing Perry’s parents and stepfather arriving at the house where he apparently drowned just hours after he died. The trio focuses on one another, offering comfort, as cameras focus on them from all around. The incident has sparked negative memories for Wolfgang, who has shared some of his experience with grieving in the spotlight.
Wolfgang draws parallels between his father and Perry
Echoing some tangential sentiments is Emma Heming, wife of Bruce Willis, who has gone onto social media to voice her opinion about the way information about Perry has been distributed and inspected. “I don’t need to hear the 911 dispatch call,” Emma said in a social media post. “I don’t need to know the autopsy report. Why? Because it’s absolutely none of my business. This level of lookie-loo and entitlement is god awful and I will never understand it. Let this man rest in peace and show some respect. Give his family and friends grace to mourn and grieve without all this noise.”
Wolfgang had a similar experience regarding his father’s autopsy report. The show Autopsy: The Last Days of Eddie Van Halen focused on the last days of the celebrated guitarist and after a preview of the episode went live, Wolfgang slammed the program, everyone involved, and its viewers, calling it “disgusting trying to glamorize someone’s death from cancer. Pathetic and heartless.”
He also claimed of TMZ, “They paid off people in the hospital when my father passed. Couldn’t even f—ing grieve for 20 minutes. Like I said… scum.”
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