A death hoax can begin as simply as one person making up a rumor and posting it on twitter. Within hours the news can spread, become a trending topic and cause the world to wonder if they should be saying ‘RIP’ to one of their stars. These 5 celebrities have all been victims of online death hoaxes, mostly through twitter or other social networking sites where rumors can quickly spin out of control with little or no evidence of them being factual. While some just laugh off the silly hoax, others were unsurprisingly angered because their family may have been upset by the news or they don’t like the idea of someone joking or creating a hoax about their death.
Cher
Following a death hoax which managed to fool Kim Kardashian into tweeting about Cher’s possibly passing, the singer said she is still fine and joked about it: “Well here I am Tweeting from the HereAfter! It’s very blue up here & thank God they gave me a view of the sea, palm trees & a Balinese house… Lovelies. I’m not going anywhere till i finish this fkng (sic) album! The only Rip I know how 2 (sic) do is ‘Rip it up! Kick a** & take no prisoners!… Just had great idea… I’m going to ask (my songwriter) to write a song 4 (sic) album! ‘Rip’.”
James Avery
The ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ actor was hurt by the twitter rumors that he had died and wishes people wouldn’t get so wrapped up in social networking: “Did you see that on Twitter? I don’t even know where it came from. P**sed me off, I know that. I mean, really, they’re going to take away what little career I have left. My mother was scared. See, I don’t understand this whole Twitter, Facebook stuff. I don’t get it. Make a phone call. Talk to somebody.”
Kelly Rowland
Kelly’s entire family went into shock when they heard that Kelly had apparently died and she was on a plane so didn’t know what was happening: “My family hadn’t spoken to me for 20 hours, so they were very worried. When I got off the plane, they’d left messages on my phone crying and asking me where I was and what was going on. It was scary for them. I have no idea how the rumour started but I made sure I put an end to it immediately.”
Missy Elliott
Missy followed up a death rumor by stating that it only makes her work harder to make those who don’t like her feel bad when she succeeds: “I’m great people for all who keep asking! Alive and well! Sadly sum1 (someone) was that miserable to make up such a cruel rumour! It Makes me work harder (to) make ’em mad! I’m done addressing the foolishness! I’m alive! God will deal with those who play about (with) things like that!”
Tom Cruise
Following a twitter hoax about his death, Tom jokes that the internet got it wrong again and that he’s still very much alive: “No, I’m not. I’m a hologram! I’m really alive. Did the internet get it wrong again? You can send the message out (I am still alive).”
