Twitter Death Hoaxes Of 2012: Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Paris Hilton, Adam Sandler And Others Claimed This Year

By Amethyst Tate | September 14 2012 11:29 AM

Photo: Reuters

Morgan Freeman

Fans thought Morgan Freeman might be dead after a Facebook page titled "R.I.P. Morgan Freeman" surfaced. Freeman's reps officially confirmed to E! Online that the highly acclaimed actor is not dead. "Morgan is alive and well, and joins the long list of actors who have been victimized by this hoax. He's still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet," they said.

Photo: Reuters

Bill Cosby

Comedian Bill Cosby, pictured, who became a victim of yet another celebrity death hoax on Twitter and Facebook. Bill Cosby death claims swept Twitter in August, 2012. "Emotional friends have called about this misinformation," Cosby explained on Twitter. "To the people behind the foolishness, I'm not sure you see how upsetting this is."

Photo: Reuters

Reese Witherspoon

Twitter exploded with reports that Reese Witherspoon was stabbed, and then that she died of natural causes back in August. It is speculated that the "Legally Blond' actress was singled out because her name had been a trending topic all day, due to anticipation for her latest film, "The Beard."

Photo: Reuters

Adam Sandler

“Actor Adam Sandler is reported to have died shortly after a snowboard accident earlier today -- September 10, 2012." According to the Global Associated News, Sandler had died in a snowboarding incident at a ski resort in Zermatt, Switzerland. A fake "R.I.P. Adam Sandler" Facebook page was created, which then caused fans to express themselves on Twitter, thinking the "Billy Madison" comedian was really dead. When fans learned the 46-year-old was alive and well, they criticized the senseless hoax. "That horrible moment when 'adam sandler dead' comes up in your news search & gives you a heart attack only to find out it's a lie," tweeted @bammitsGABI.

Photo: Courtesy

Bill Nye

After Bill Nye the Science Guy," spoke out against creationism in a YouTube video published in August, rumors of Nye's death became a trending topic on Twitter, which sparked a massive outpouring of support for the PBS children's show host.

Photo: Twitter

Tom Kenny

This image began making the rounds on Twitter, leading to a widespread belief that Tom Kenny, the actor who voices SpongeBob SquarePants, has died. In reality, Kenny is alive and well. Though the image did not include a cause of death, many users claimed Kenny had died of cancer. The 50-year-old voice actor has never made a public statement about having cancer of any kind.

Photo: Reuters

Eddie Murphy

Global Associated News claimed: "The actor & novice snowboarder was vacationing at the Zermatt ski resort in Zermatt, Switzerland with family and friends. Witnesses indicate that Eddie Murphy lost control of his snowboard and struck a tree at a high rate of speed." Eddie Murphy is alive and well.

Photo: Reuters

Paris Hilton

Global Associated News also reported that socialite Paris Hilton died. "Paris Hilton died in a single vehicle crash on Route 80 between Morristown and Roswell," the site reports. "He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics responding to the vehicle accident and was identified by photo ID found on his body (the site incorrectly refers to Hilton as "he"). Alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor in this accident."

Photo: Reuters

50 Cent

Rapper 50 Cent is alive despite persistent rumors to the contrary on Twitter and throughout the Internet. The incorrect news about his passing came about in the wake of the death of his manager Chris Lighty last month.

Photo: PA

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves was a celebrity victim of a death hoax. The death rumors gained traction on Twitter a day after singer Whitney Houston passed away in February. "Keanu Reeves was air lifted by ski patrol teams to a local hospital, however, it is believed that the actor died instantly from the impact of the crash," a fake report claimed. "The actor was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and drugs and alcohol do not appear to have played any part in his death."

Photo: Twitter

Channing Tatum

Global Associated News, a site known for creating celebrity death hoaxes, wrote a story confirming Tatum's death on Saturday, falsely claiming that "witnesses indicate that Channing Tatum lost control of his snowboard and struck a tree at a high rate of speed." But the heartthrob took to Twitter to dismiss rumors that he had died in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland. "On set in Montreal. Alive and well. :-)" Tatum wrote on the social media site to his over two million followers.

Photo: Reuters

Adele

Although there was never an official report that the singer had passed, in January, "RIP Adele" became a trending topic on Twitter, igniting speculations as to whether the singer is really dead. "Anyone who finds it funny that RIP Adele or RIP Demi Moore is trending lacks compassion, respect and kindness. What happened to the truth?" one twitter user wrote. Many people are not pleased about the constant celebrity death rumors. "Celebrities are still normal people with family members and friends just like us," one person on Facebook wrote according to Mstarz.com. "How would you feel if someone said your most precious loved one has passed away? You can't joke about someone's death."

It seems not a week goes by without a celebrity death hoax taking over social media site Twitter. The fake rumors previously claimed several celebrities including Jim Carrey, Johnny Depp, Taylor Lautner, Mick Jagger, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, among others. Although the truth is they are all alive and well, it was still unnerving for fans to see "RIP" trending with the name of their favorite star on Twitter -- obstensibly because they were deceased. Most recently, the celebrity death hoax phenomenon has also claimed Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and Bill Nye.

Check out the latest celebrity death hoaxes of 2012 so far. Click "Start" to view the slideshow.