What happened to ‘TMZ’ founder Harvey Levin?

It’s rare that the founder of a news publication becomes the center of a news story itself, however that was exactly the case for Harvey Levin, the creator of infamous celebrity tabloid TMZ.

Levin — who founded the publication in 2005 — has overseen some of the biggest celebrity news stories of the last two decades (with a particular focus on Lindsay Lohan), so it might’ve been surprising when it was his name appearing in search engines and headlines instead. 

While Levin has grabbed headlines for his takes on the Kate Middleton saga and for his recently released interview special with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, another pressing, more pressing newsworthy moment arrived in May, 2024. So what exactly happened to TMZ‘s Harvey Levin? 

What happened to Harvey Levin?

Fans might’ve been surprised by Harvey Levin’s recent television appearance, in which he seemed to be sporting an injured eye. Clips of the journalist’s TV segment were shared on social media, with fans questioning why Levin’s eye seemed notably darkened while presenting alongside co-executive producer of TMZ, Charles Latibeaudiere.

While the cause of Levin’s injury has not yet been revealed, viewers remarked that Levin looked “uneasy” and that his appearance “looks weird.” It isn’t the only time an injury of Levin’s has made it on to TMZ on TV. In June 2020, it was reported that Levin was involved in a bicycle accident in Los Angeles. Addressing the situation during an episode of TMZ on TV — the syndicated news and gossip show Levin has presented since 2005 — Latibeaudiere described his co-host’s accident as “pretty bad.”

At the time, Latibeaudiere said Levin’s absence from the episode was to allow Levin “a little bit of time to heal.” Details around the extent of the TMZ founder’s injuries were not revealed at the time, though Latibeaudiere said Levin was wearing a helmet when the accident occurred. Shortly after, Levin’s representatives told multiple outlets that Levin would “return soon,” and the host was back to regular programming in the following episode.

Levin again grabbed news coverage for another one of his accidents in 2013, with his own name appearing on TMZ following a car crash. “I was in a horrible car accident last night and nobody came to pick me up,” Levin revealed during an episode of TMZ on TV. Levin claimed that the accident, which occurred while he was driving his Porsche, was the result of a garbage truck making an illegal turn, causing it to “careen into me.”

TMZ celebrated its 18th anniversary in Nov. 2023, and has in recent years attracted criticism for its coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death and Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against actress and ex-wife, Amber Heard. In any case, Levin himself has largely stayed out of the spotlight, though the intensity of tabloids like TMZ means it’s only a matter of time before he grabs headlines again.