50 Cent Died Today In The World Of Twitter Death Hoaxes

If you heard 50 Cent died today on Twitter, you weren’t alone among worried fans of the death-cheating rapper.

The news that 50 Cent died today swept the microblogging site, with many concerned fans tweeting and re-tweeting a story about 50 Cent’s death that looked to many to be legit.

The story that 50 Cent died today was carried by the official-looking Global Associated News, which many who are not avid news readers could confuse with similarly named and respectable news wire services. But Global Associated News also “broke the news” of Eddie Murphy’s death a day prior, and the story carried by the site was newsy enough to trick worried fans who’d heard of 50 Cent’s “death” over the holiday weekend:

“[50 Cent] was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics responding to the vehicle accident and was identified by photo ID found on his body. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor in this accident.”

The site also says:

“Highway Safety Investigators have told reporters that 50 Cent lost control while driving a friend’s vehicle on Interstate 80 and rolled the vehicle several times killing him instantly.”

What many readers missed was the disclosure at the bottom indicating the site was a fake news outlet and letting fans who thought 50 Cent died today know that the tale was made up out of whole cloth:

“Fake …This story is 100% fake! This is an entertainment website, and this is a totally fake article based on zero truth and is a complete work of fiction for entertainment purposes.”

So, if you were worried 50 Cent died today, rest assured that just like the hail of bullets Fitty survived back in the day, the rapper is not so easy to kill off.