News of actor Jackie Chan’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the February 2014 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour or Police Story is alive and well.
Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Jackie Chan’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the actor’s passing.
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 59-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Jackie Chan’s stature would be major news across networks.
A recent poll conducted for the Celebrity Post shows that a large majority (73%) of respondents think those Jackie Chan death rumors are not funny anymore.
On Monday (February 17) the actor’s reps officially confirmed that Jackie Chan is not dead. “He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet,” they said.
Some fans have expressed anger at the fake report saying it was reckless, distressing and hurtful to fans of the much loved actor. Others say this shows his extreme popularity across the globe.