Piers Morgan has issued Donald Trump a blunt two-word demand after the US President shared an AI-generated video of himself playing with a tiger in the wake of a fatal attack at a UK wildlife park. The broadcaster branded the clip “appallingly tasteless” and called on Trump to remove it from social media.
Morgan's demand
Writing on social media, Morgan said: “This is appallingly tasteless. Delete it, President @realDonaldTrump.” The criticism came after Trump shared footage of a man being attacked by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, followed by a separate video apparently generated using artificial intelligence, showing the President interacting with a big cat to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
The posts came just days after 23-year-old William Chapman died at the wildlife park on Saturday, October 10. Chapman was killed after entering the tiger enclosure at the attraction.
Fatal incident details
Emergency services were called shortly after 1.30pm, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. South Yorkshire Police confirmed that Chapman had entered the enclosure and was attacked by the animal. Witnesses told reporters that visitors had tried to stop him from entering the restricted area. Video clips circulated online appeared to show him approaching the tiger, named Altai, before the animal attacked him.
Trump shared footage of the incident on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, adding the caption: “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT.” The video showed the tiger biting and pinning the man, although it did not show his death. He then shared a separate montage featuring apparent big-cat attacks accompanied by upbeat music.
Family's appeal
Morgan’s demand for Trump to delete the video comes as Chapman’s family have appealed for people to stop sharing distressing material connected to his death. In a statement, they described Chapman as a “bright, warm and engaging young man” who was dearly loved by his family. They said they were “utterly devastated” by their loss and struggling to come to terms with what had happened.
The family also revealed that Chapman had suffered from “significant mental illness over a number of years” and had been prescribed strong medication. “It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death,” they said, asking the public to respect the process. They added that the publication and circulation of “deeply offensive media content” was causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time, and urged people to stop sharing it.
Chapman had appeared as a child actor in ITV comedy May Contain Nuts, alongside actress Shirley Henderson, and in the BBC’s True Stories series. His former stage school, Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, also paid tribute, saying it was deeply saddened by the loss and had loved watching him develop as a person and performer.
Investigation and response
The City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. Yorkshire Wildlife Park has remained closed while enquiries continue. The tiger involved, an endangered Amur tiger named Altai, will not be euthanised following the incident.
