TMZ Hospitalized Maya Angelou

October 5. 2009

Proving they will go too far for a scoop, even to the point of making one up, TMZ posted on Saturday, October 3, 2009, that award winning poet, Maya Angelou, whose poetry was released in a compilation book along with my aunt's work and that of a couple other female poets, had been rushed to the Hospital in Los Angeles, California.

I started praying for the poor woman, asking the Lord to help Maya, when she wasn't even in the hospital or Los Angeles, for that matter.

TMZ, when you bribe sources for information, as you did in the Rihanna case and that of Michael Jackson, make sure they actually have the right person. You're welcome. 

Maya Angelou hospitalized? Not so fast, TMZ

Posted October 4, 2009 - 9:27 a.m. - Contrary to a Saturday night TMZ.com report, literary giant Maya Angelou was not hospitalized while in Los Angeles, CNN reported this morning.

CNN news editor Saeed Ahmed shared this on Twitter earlier today: "Contrary to TMZ report, Maya Angelou is fine, at home, & wasn't even in LA Sat nite, said her literary agent Helen Brann."

TMZ has gained a reputation for scooping traditional news outlets with news of celebrity ailments, famously reporting Michael Jackson's death long before other outlets.

TMZ's Saturday night report -- branded as an exclusive -- was brief, saying that the story was developing.

The TMZ article was updated some time after 10 a.m. today -- with a different, smiling photo of Angelou -- to reflect the misinformation.

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