Everything we know about celebrity death hoaxes

CELEBRITY death hoaxes are nothing new, having been around for decades.

Social media and the internet only amplify the rumors, allowing fake news to spread quickly and go viral within hours.

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What is a celebrity death hoax?

A death hoax is a deliberate report of someone’s death that is later proven to be untrue.

On very rare occasions, it might be because the person has intentionally faked their own death.

Thanks to the internet and social media, celebrity death hoaxes have become commonplace.

New rumors spread nearly every day of a celebrity’s untimely passing.

It’s easier than ever to go viral with fake news about a famous person’s death.

Even one unverified post or comment on social media can be shared and circulated online for millions to see – and believe.

How long have celebrity death hoaxes been popular?

Celebrity death hoaxes are nothing new.

While death hoaxes have only increased with the rise of the digital age, they’ve actually been around for decades.

Many death hoaxes tend to pop up when actual celebrity deaths occur, often in quick succession.

In 1945, following the death of Franklin Roosevelt, multiple death hoaxes spread, claiming celebrities like Charlie Chaplin and Frank Sinatra had passed away as well.

Perhaps the most famous death hoax in the pre-internet era was the urban legend, “Paul is dead.”

The conspiracy theory alleged that Beatles musician Sir Paul McCartney died in 1966 and was replaced with a look-alike star.

The rumor alleged that McCartney had died in a car crash, and to spare the public from grief, the surviving Beatles had the star replaced.

Another version of the death hoax is a death denial rumor.

These rumors claim that a person is alive, despite official announcements of their deaths.

Celebrities like Elvis Presley, Tupac Shakur, Prince, and Michael Jackson have all been targets of death denial rumors.

Some stars, like Paul McCartney, have also been the target of replacement conspiracies, including singer Avril Lavigne and former First Lady Melania Trump.

What celebrities have endured a death hoax in 2023?

2023 seems to be the year of the death hoax.

Countless celebrities, politicians, and influencers have had to deal with false rumors or accusations that they passed away.

The U.S. Sun has reported on a number of these hoaxes this year, including fan reactions to the hoaxes, and how quickly celebrities, or someone from their respective teams, shut down the false allegations.

Hundreds of celebrities have had to deal with a death hoax in 2023, including actors, podcasters, musicians, YouTube and TikTok creators, and TV personalities.

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November

Actor and TV dad Ty Burrell was rumored to have passed away after he skipped out on a Modern Family reunion.

Joe Rogan, an American podcaster, also dealt with a death hoax.

Harry Styles, one of the biggest music stars in the world, wasn’t immune to the death hoax either, falling victim to the fake news.

A fake website also started rumors that A-list actor Mark Ruffalo had died.

Elon Musk must be used to death hoaxes by now, with rumors popping up every few months since 2021 that the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire is no longer alive.

Actor Tom Selleck, no stranger to a death hoax, quickly shut down rumors that he passed away via his representatives.

Family Feud host and TV entertainer Steve Harvey even fell victim to the celebrity death hoax.

America’s Got Talent winner and Disney star Grace VanderWaal also left fans shaken up after a reported death hoax.

October

Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher sparked death rumors in October.

The much-loved broadcaster and wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough also fell victim to the internet rumors.

The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan also made headlines for her “death” on October 25, which turned out to be a cruel joke.

Hollywood star and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. started trending in October due to a death hoax.

Netflix actor Drew Starkey also had to dispel rumors that he died when fans of the Outer Banks star were sent into a frenzy after hearing news of his supposed passing.

Former wrestler and current blockbuster actor Dwayne The Rock Johnson also fell victim to multiple death hoaxes this year, most recently in October.

Randy Travis, a popular country singer, had rumors circulating online after battling poor health and hospital visits in recent years.

Even actress Hayden Panettiere had a death hoax spread online.

September

Death hoaxes can happen all across the world, as evidenced by the rumors that Bollywood star and politician Ramya Divya Spandana had passed away.

August

Iconic actor Sam Elliott was the target of a death hoax twice in 2023, first in August and then again in November.

Comedian and former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres turned out to be alive and well after rumors of her “death” circulated online.

Rapper Jay-Z’s fans had more than 99 problems when they saw the rapper’s death trending on social media.

Even country legend Dolly Parton couldn’t avoid a death hoax when she became a trending topic on X, formerly Twitter.

Slim Shady rapper Eminem also fell victim to a death hoax trending on social media, even as the Love the Way You Lie rapper was confirmed to be alive and well.

Sometimes, death hoaxes happen even to smaller, lesser-known stars, like season 11 Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter, targeted in August 2023.

Even young stars like social media sensation and actor Brent Rivera, born in 1998, can’t stop death hoaxes from spreading like wildfire.

Social media star Danny Duncan also succumbed to death hoax rumors after filming a YouTube video of himself crashing a car into an RV.

YouTuber IShowSpeed sparked death rumors after a high-profile hospital visit.

Rapper Lil Tay’s death hoax announcement made waves after some reporters alleged that the rumor was written by AI.

Mr. Beast collaborator and YouTube star Chandler Hollow also had fake information circulating online about his reported death.

July

Friends star Jennifer Aniston became the latest celebrity to be involved in a death hoax, but was spotted alive and well just days later.

Singer Celine Dion also was the target of vicious online rumors after her health issues continued to worry fans.

Little People, Big World star Jacob Roloff took to Twitter to debunk rumors that his mom, Amy Roloff, had passed away.

Even Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller fell victim to the celebrity death hoax late in the month.

Standup comedian and actor Larry the Cable Guy was also the target of fake news spread about his passing.

Both Steve Harvey and Harvey Weinstein were the target of a death hoax after RIP Harvey began trending online.

June

Jeremy Renner was the latest Marvel star to be hit with a celebrity death hoax in June 2023, but it wasn’t his first rodeo – the star also had to debunk rumors of his passing back in 2017.

May

One of the biggest music moguls in the world, Simon Cowell, also had rumors spread of his death, but the famous TV judge quickly shut down the fake news.

Tom Hanks, a beloved American actor, was alive and well when a bizarre death hoax spread online.

Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne also had to shut down rumors that he had passed away.

Controversial YouTuber Edp445 also became the latest victim in an elaborate online death hoax.

Even former Dance Moms star and YouTube sensation JoJo Siwa couldn’t dance her way out of an online death hoax in early May.

April

Fake rumors began to spread about Angelina Jolie passing away, but the Hollywood star was just another victim of the celebrity death hoax.

TruTV’s Hardcore Pawn star Les Gold had rumors circulate on the internet claiming he passed away, but they were quickly disproven.

TikTok creator Queen Cheryl was also the victim of a death hoax after her partner Quran posted a video of himself crying, but he was quick to debunk the rumors.

March

Top Gun star Tom Cruise couldn’t shake off the rumors that he had passed away in early March until his representatives confirmed that he was alive and well.

DJ Khaled was also the target of an online death hoax claiming the rapper and music producer died in a car accident while using Snapchat, but Snopes quickly debunked the fake news.

Rapper J. Cole made waves on social media after a death hoax spread on X, formerly Twitter, but fans close to the star quickly cleared up the rumors.

February

YouTube star Baylen Levine fell victim to online rumors about him passing away in a car crash in late January, but the star shook off the death hoax by posting regular content to his Instagram page in February.

January

Iconic singer Tina Turner was one of the first celebrities to have a death hoax spread in 2023.

Unfortunately, the singer did end up passing away just a few months later in May 2023 from natural causes.