Topic: Vanessa Bryant

TMZ faced intense criticism for breaking the news of Kobe Bryant's death before his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and other family members were officially notified by authorities. While TMZ founder Harvey Levin defended the move as reporting a major news event confirmed by Bryant's camp, critics labeled the outlet's tactics as "parasitic" and "soulless." The outlet is accused of maintaining a network of paid informants in hotels and restaurants to secure scoops.

ESPN anchor Elle Duncan shared a scripted personal anecdote about Kobe Bryant's pride in being a "girl dad," which quickly became a viral hashtag. The segment suggests that different factions of feminism used Bryant's death to either attack his character or promote the WNBA and gender equality. While the "girl dad" sentiment was widely praised, some observers viewed the rapid monetization and hashtagging of the sentiment as "icky" and opportunistic.