Top 10 Celebrity Death Hoaxes
Rest assured, these stars were not dead at the time of reporting. From Cher to Eminem and Jackie Chan, these celebs were the victims of some crazy fake news. WatchMojo is counting down the most outlandish celebrity death hoaxes.
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Top 10 Celebrity Death Hoaxes
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Rest assured, these stars were not dead at the time of reporting. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten celebrity death hoaxes. For this list, we’ll be looking at our favorite celebrity death hoaxes and ranking them based on their outlandishness.
#10: Eminem
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Eminem has been the victim of a few alleged deaths over the years. One hoax surfaced when it was reported that the rapper died in a jet ski crash. The same website that “broke” this story had previously reported that Lil’ Wayne and 50 Cent had also died in jet ski crashes. Another odd rumor surfaced that said he perished in a car crash while driving to a party. Other versions, or updates to this story, include details like he apparently died at Palo Alto Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles, despite that hospital never existing (and, you know, the fact that Palo Alto is about 350 miles north of Los Angeles).
#9: Jon Bon Jovi
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Bon Jovi certainly was in good spirits for a man who had just died. Fake death reports began to surface on various social media sites in December 2011 claiming that the famed rockstar had recently passed away. However, Bon Jovi got a hold of this rumor and had a little fun with it by uploading a picture of himself to his Facebook page. In the photo, he is holding a sign that reads “Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey,” complete with the day’s date scrawled at the bottom. To make the picture even more cheery, he’s standing in front of a well-lit Christmas tree. Isn’t heaven a beautiful place?
#8: Cher
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Cher is no stranger to wrongful reportings of her demise. Around one million fans showed support after a Facebook page was created claiming that the artist had died on December 19, 2015, forcing a representative to not only confirm her continued survival, but also tell her fans to stop believing everything they see on the internet. The most notable hoax, however, arguably came about when Margaret Thatcher died two years prior. #nowthatchersdead began trending on social media, which led some to believe that the hashtag read “Now that Cher’s dead,” sparking yet another outpouring of support. When Cher eventually does pass away, we’ll never believe it.
#7: Adam Sandler
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Why is it always a winter sports accident in Europe? A website known for spreading celebrity death rumors spread yet another one when it declared that Sandler had died in a snowboarding accident in Zermatt, Switzerland. Perpetuating the hoax, an “RIP Adam Sandler” Facebook page was created, leading many fans to show their support for the allegedly dead actor. Yet another hoax spread in January 2017 that claimed that Sandler had committed suicide after battling depression. However, this was started by another prank site dedicated to odd (and often false) sensational stories. Sandler is alive and well, meaning that whether you like his recent films or not, they’re gonna keep coming.
#6: Jeff Goldblum
You know what he said: “life, uh, finds a way.” In 2009, reports surfaced that Goldblum had fallen off a cliff and died while filming a movie in New Zealand. This rumor quickly made the rounds on the internet, and, according to Goldblum, resulted in countless calls from distraught and concerned family members. Goldblum poked fun at the situation, appearing on “The Colbert Report” to give a eulogy to himself while praising his own acting abilities. Years later, Goldblum talked to Richard Wilkins, a man who reported on the false death, and they shared a good laugh about the whole affair. It’s a good thing he has a sense of humor!
#5: Jackie Chan
If there’s an actor whose death hoaxes people can believe, it’s Jackie Chan. The man has made his career putting life and limb on the line for our entertainment. Luckily, the stories are completely fabricated. In 2011, there was an alleged heart attack. Then, in 2013, rumors began spreading that Chan had fallen to his death while filming a movie in Austria. To make the story more believable, a fake video circulated on Facebook which was rumored to show the accident and failed rescue attempt. However, Chan soon dispelled the rumors by posting a photo with the day’s newspaper and declaring that “if I died, I would probably tell the world!”
#4: Bill Nye
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Bill Nye the Science Guy was a staple for many a childhood, so hearing of his death was sure to upset a large number of people. Luckily, our childhoods are safe for now. In 2012, Nye appeared in a YouTube video called Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children in which he persuades parents who believe in creationism to guide their children towards more scientific thinking. This obviously caused some hurt for someone, as death rumors immediately started spreading through social media. While he may be metaphorically dead to some, he is alive and well for the rest of us.
#3: Paul McCartney
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Here’s an oldie but a goodie. In 1967, after false reports surfaced that McCartney had died in a car accident, a student at Iowa’s Drake University wrote an article titled “Is Beatle Paul McCartney Dead?” The article came with a backstory and “clues” in various Beatles songs, including a reference to his death in Revolution 9 and Strawberry Fields Forever. A lookalike named William Campbell was also said to have taken McCartney’s place to prevent public grief. This all ended when Life magazine published an interview with McCartney in which he dispelled the rumors, but the conspiracy theories remain to this day.
#2: Britney Spears
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Seeing a death story on some silly, irreputable site is one thing. Seeing it on the official Sony Music Twitter account is something else entirely. Twitter users were left baffled when Sony Music tweeted “RIP @britneyspears #RIPBritney 1981-2016” and “Britney spears is dead by accident! We will tell you more soon #RIPBritney.” If that wasn’t all, it seemed as if Bob Dylan’s Twitter was hacked as well, as one tweet read “Rest in peace @britneyspears.” UK-based Mirror Online published an article on the story before Spears’ representative squashed all rumors and ended the story once and for all. Sony Music initially refused to comment before blaming it on a hack. How embarrassing! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Chloë Grace Moretz Chrissy Teigen Kanye West
#1: Avril Lavigne
Another alleged death, another supposed doppelganger. As the story goes, Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne was feeling too much pressure from the fame and started using a body double named Melissa Vandella in her place. Lavigne then died (she’s usually said to have committed suicide), and Melissa permanently took her place while the public remained none the wiser. Conspiracy theorists point to numerous “clues,” including Lavigne’s fashion transition to a more feminine look and her physical appearance. Or, you know, she could just be growing up and changing. But yeah, it’s a lookalike meant to cover up a suicide, let’s go with that – or not.
