Richard Young/startraksphoto.com The National Enquirer calls its cover photo of Whitney Houston lying in her casket "beautiful."
But plenty of critics beg to differ and the funeral home that took care of arrangements for the late pop icon is hoping to get out of the line of fire as soon as possible.
"We have no comment—but it was not the funeral home," a spokeswoman for the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, N.J., told E! News. "[The media] are getting me in the middle. I am very angry, very upset, just like the family, just like the fans" are about the photo.
"We don't like it because it implicates us," she added. "Whitney was a personal friend to me and my family. We would not do that."
Who would, then?
"I thought it was beautiful," Enquirer publisher Mary Beth Wright told FoxNews.com of the photograph, which went up with the headline, "Whitney: The Last Photo!" She, of course, did not disclose where they got it from.
Wright's remarks, however, were in defense of all the bashing the Enquirer took for running the picture—but the tabloid wasn't the sole target of people's animosity.
"Don't hate the National Enquirer for publishing Whitney Houston casket photo, hate on the family member/friend who sold it," tweeted Dan Gross, a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. "I said family or friend," he further clarified. T was someone who was at the very intimate viewing. OR someone who worked there."
"I hope they find out who sold that photo of Whitney Houston. I want to know what the dregs of society looks like," tweeted @afrobella. "What an awful thing to do."
Added @deartupac: "So ppl really scooped this low by selling Whitney Houston dead in her coffin photo shame on you, she can't even rest in peace."
Pinning the blame back on the Enquirer, @TWyse wrote, "I HATE the @natenquirer for posting a picture of Whitney Houston's open [casket]... They need to be put out of business Now RT (((PLEASE)))."