The internet is known for a number of things, and one of them is bringing forth things that aren’t true at all. Perhaps the biggest trend is that of the celebrity death hoax , and it has happened to a number of big-time personalities. The latest person to fall victim to the celebrity death hoax is James Earl Jones, but he is alive and well.
All across social media sites, people have been mourning the death of James Earl Jones, the Washington Post reported.
Rip James Earl Jones so hard to take in. He been around for a very long time.
— D’ Natasia SoBlessed (@MyFlowerRise) August 28, 2015
#RIP James Earl Jones great actor of stage & screen. I am going to miss you — Cat S (@catstjohn) August 28, 2015
For some reason, these rumors get started and then shared across social media without anyone thinking, asking, or researching. At that point, someone else shares it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and before you know it, everyone thinks a certain person is dead.
That’s how the celebrity death hoax begins.
In the case of James Earl Jones, many people fell victim to the Feednewz story that comes from a fake/satire news site. The story told of James Earl Jones passing away at the age of 84 and that the “American Legend” will be missed.
The site comes across as being quite legit, but it’s only headlines and pictures. When you click through to the article, the words “you got owned!” come up on the screen to let everyone know that the story is fake.
Unfortunately, a lot of people didn’t even bother to read the article and simply tweeted about it or shared it.
The celebrity death hoax is nothing new to the internet, and nine times out of 10, it catches fire and goes for a while. Earlier this year, the world began to freak out when rumors started going around that country music legend Willie Nelson was dead.
Another version of the celebrity death hoax is the one that brings back about the true death of a celebrity. For instance, back in June, the internet was mourning the loss of Golden Girls star Rue McClanahan , but many of them failed to realize that she had died back in 2010.
Goodbye to Golden Girl Rue McClanahan…. #GoldenGirls #RueMcClanahan #Blanche pic.twitter.com/n4f3ONanEt
— Splashlight Studios (@splashlightsoho) June 11, 2015
James Earl Jones is getting up there in age, and the legendary actor won’t be around forever, but he is not dead. The celebrity death hoax has taken him as its next victim, and the world needs to know that he is currently alive and well.
[Image via Getty Images]
