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A celebrity death hoax is a false report of the death of a living public figure. In recent years hoaxes of this type have been most widely perpetuated via the Internet. However they are not a new phenomenon; in 1945 following the death of Franklin Roosevelt there were hoax reports of the deaths of Charlie Chaplin and Frank Sinatra, among other celebrities of the time. Possibly the most famous hoax of this type was the "Paul (McCartney) is Dead" rumour of the late 1960s.
Hoaxes about the death of a celebrity increase in frequency when genuine celebrity deaths occur. With the 2009 death of Michael Jackson, hoax reports emerged concerning the deaths of Jeff Goldblum, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Harrison Ford, Ellen DeGeneres, and Rick Astley.
References
- "Celebrity Death Hoaxes". MSN UK. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- "FLOOD OF RUMORS GIVES CITY JITTERS". NY Times. 1945-04-14. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- "Celebrity hoaxes continue after Jackson death". Ninemsn Australia. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-02.