Is James Earl Jones dead?
Rumors that the actor had passed away have been circulating on the internet for a couple of days now, but fans will be happy to know that James Earl Jones is alive and well. According to the International Business Times , a fake news headline hit the web earlier this week, and once social media got wind, thousands of people started tweeting their condolences… without doing any fact checking.
“The 84-year-old ‘The Lion King’ actor was in news earlier this week after a prank by Feednewz with the headline ‘James Earl Jones dies at age 84 in Arkabutla, Mississippi’ sparked off rumors among fans that he had actually died. The link leads to [a] ‘You Got Owned’ page to expose that it’s fake,” reports the International Business Times .
James Earl Jones is not dead, nor was he involved in any kind of tragic accident, despite what you may have read. According to Snopes , Feednewz has been responsible for quite a few hoaxes and false rumors over the years. Apparently, anyone can make up a fake news story for the site, and hope that it goes viral. Sometimes these hoaxes are harmless (Is Taco Bell really going out of business? The horror!), but sometimes they push the envelope, and “kill” someone famous off… as a joke.
“Anyone can create a ‘prank’ headline on FeedNewz.com , a site that fosters users’ spreading false but sensational claims across the Internet and then encourages those who have already been fooled to continue sharing the joke.”
The James Earl Jones death rumors are still floating around the internet this weekend. It’s almost like one person sees an “RIP” tweet, and people just assume it’s factual. If people actually checked reliable sources, these types of hoaxes would likely die out a lot faster.
RIP James Earl Jones, such an amazing actor!
— Ali P. (@sunfiregirl85) August 29, 2015
Rip to one of the greatest actors and voice actor James Earl Jones! Your contribution to the entertainment business will never be forgotten!
— Jorge Luis Martinez (@DjLouieM) August 28, 2015
Mufasa died. #RIP James Earl Jones.
— Petty Murphy (@therealjayjones) August 28, 2015
Oh no…not James Earl Jones. RIP Darth Vader. So much more than that one role but his voice haunted my childhood.
— JonathanLloyd Walker (@J_L_Walker) August 28, 2015
RIP James Earl Jones. What a great actor.
— ?s. R?BIN P?well? (@youngHeated) August 27, 2015
RIP James Earl Jones. You will be remembered fondly.
— #StopAlbinoKillings (@kuliroberts) August 27, 2015
[Photo by Rob Kim / Getty Images Entertainment]
