In the age of social media, where stories spread faster than fact-checkers can blink, no one is truly safe from bizarre online rumours — not even global superstars.
From movie icons to pop sensations and beloved TV personalities, many have had to deal with the most ridiculous claim of all: that they’ve died.
Death hoaxes have become one of the strangest and most unsettling trends in the celebrity world — fuelled by fake news sites, social media scams, and gullible reposts.
Over the years, countless famous faces have found themselves trending for all the wrong reasons, forced to assure fans that they’re “alive and well.”
Here’s a look at some of the biggest stars who’ve had to laugh off (or furiously deny) their premature online “deaths.”
Bon Jovi’s Legendary Comeback — From Beyond the Grave
Back in 2011, fans were left reeling when reports claimed that rock legend Jon Bon Jovi had suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at a New Jersey hotel.
The story even appeared to come from the LA Times — though it turned out to have been copied from an old Michael Jackson death report.
Rather than panic, the singer leaned into his signature wit.
Bon Jovi shared a photo holding a handwritten sign that read, “Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey.”
He captioned it simply: “Rest assured that Jon is fine — this photo was just taken.”
The move instantly shut down the rumours and turned what could have been chaos into a classic Bon Jovi moment of humour.
Taylor Swift and the Internet’s Wild Imagination
As one of the world’s most watched celebrities, Taylor Swift has faced her fair share of wild hoaxes — but the death ones really take the cake.
In 2012, a fake account pretending to represent MTV News claimed Taylor had been found dead at her home.
The post spread rapidly before legitimate outlets rushed to clarify that it was completely false.
Over the years, several similar rumours have reappeared — from fake car accident claims to social media trolls linking her to other celebrities’ hoaxes.
It seems no matter how many hits Taylor releases, the internet still can’t resist inventing stories about her.
Sylvester Stallone Knocks Out the Hoaxers
In 2018, fans of Sylvester Stallone woke up to devastating news — the “Rocky” star had reportedly died after a long illness.
Photos circulated online supposedly showing him in his “final days.”
But the truth? Stallone was fast asleep in the U.S. when the hoax exploded.
By the time he woke up, social media was flooded with tributes.
Taking to Instagram, the star fired back: “Please ignore this stupidity. Alive and well and happy and healthy.”
His brother Frank Stallone also slammed the pranksters, calling them “mentally deranged.”
Tom Cruise “Falls Off a Cliff” in New Zealand
In 2010, the internet tried to kill off Tom Cruise with an elaborate story claiming he’d fallen off a cliff in New Zealand.
It sounded cinematic enough to be one of his Mission: Impossible stunts — except, of course, it never happened.
Cruise’s publicist quickly set the record straight, telling E! News: “Tom is not in New Zealand, nor has he been there recently.
This is completely untrue and unreliable internet garbage.”
Even for someone used to dodging explosions on screen, this must have been one strange headline to wake up to.
Miley Cyrus and the Facebook Scam Gone Wild
During her Bangerz era in 2014, Miley Cyrus was hit with a particularly cruel Facebook hoax claiming she’d died from an overdose.
The post directed users to fake websites mimicking Facebook pages, tricking them into sharing surveys for profit.
Despite the false alarm, Miley reportedly found it hilarious.
“She thought it was funny,” an insider told HollywoodLife.
“She said this is her Paul McCartney ‘is dead’ moment.”
Ellen DeGeneres Trends for the Wrong Reason
In 2023, Ellen DeGeneres became the centre of a viral death hoax — again.
Social media lit up with “#RIPEllen” posts, leaving fans confused and worried.
When people realized she was alive, the hashtag turned into a meme fest. One person joked, “Why did I think Ellen was dead?”
This wasn’t her first time either — Ellen has been “killed off” online multiple times over the years.
It’s gotten so frequent that fans now treat it like an ongoing internet joke.
Denise Welch Laughs Off a Wikipedia Death
Closer to home, British TV personality Denise Welch found herself declared dead on Wikipedia in 2023 — in one of the most bizarre hoaxes yet.
The edit claimed she’d been “killed by a runaway mobility scooter,” complete with made-up names and even a fake birthdate set on the Hollyoaks set.
Fans rushed to X (formerly Twitter) in confusion before Denise herself cleared things up: “I’m alive and well and about to watch the jungle. Thanks for your concern.”
Bradley Walsh Becomes a Victim of Fake BBC News
Beloved host Bradley Walsh, known for The Chase and Blankety Blank, was falsely reported dead in 2024 after a TikTok video pretending to be from BBC News went viral.
The fake post claimed, “TV presenter Bradley Walsh dies aged 63,” and quickly racked up over a million views.
BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh later confirmed it was a total fabrication — the same account had also faked reports about Sir David Attenborough’s death just weeks earlier.
Peter Kay and the Never-Ending Death Rumours
Comedian Peter Kay has faced more fake deaths than most — so much so that fans now roll their eyes whenever “#RIPPeterKay” starts trending.
In 2019, the rumour resurfaced after the comedian stepped out of the spotlight to focus on family.
Even former footballer Peter Reid accidentally posted condolences at one point, confusing him with someone else of the same name.
Kay later returned to the stage laughing about it all, proving that you really can’t keep a good comedian down — not even in fake news form.
Why Celebrity Death Hoaxes Never Really Die
From New Jersey to New Zealand, these hoaxes show just how quickly misinformation spreads online.
One fake headline can spark global panic in minutes — even when the truth is just a few clicks away.
Thankfully, most celebrities take the high road, laughing it off and reminding everyone they’re still very much alive.
Still, it’s a reminder that not everything trending online deserves to be believed — especially when it “kills off” someone who’s probably just scrolling their feed like the rest of us.