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The reach of social media is so wide that one click can share a new piece with thousands of people. Any breaking news, authentic or not can be spread without even checking and it can easily trigger panic. The news of a death hoax can cause panic instantly and it is also a news that will be shared widely. Celebrities and influential people are the worst victims of the death hoax news. Fans go crazy and berserk while searching for the news of the death of their favourite star. The latest death hoax was about Former First lady of US Barbara Bush. There was a rumour about her health failing. Another Hollywood star who recently faced a death hoax trouble was Sylvester Stallone. The Rocky fans were perplexed to hear about the fighting star being no more. But the star himself replied that he is ‘alive and punching.’ But till the confirmations come in, the social media space is haywire. Let us take a look at some of the other celebrities who have faced such death hoax in the past.
Barbara Bush: Former first lady of US, Barbara Bush was reportedly having a failing health and there was a death hoax about her recently. The 92-year old however has been in great spirits informed her family. She has however refused to take any other medicinal treatment but focus more on the comfort care. Barbara has been treated for Graves' disease. She also had heart surgery in 2009.
Amitabh Bachchan: The legendary actor has been a victim of death hoax multiple times. There have been WhatsApp forwards or some digital news sites sharing fake stories. But a story related to such a big star can never go unnoticed, and especially when it is related to death. A year back, a picture of Amitabh Bachchan lying sick in bed was shared along with the death hoax to make it look authentic. However, all of these were just plain rumours.
Shah Rukh Khan: A European news network caused panic when it announced Shah Rukh Khan died in a plane crash in Paris along with seven others. The site even gave the details about the flight number so everyone thought it was true. It created an instant buzz and every person wanted to know what had happened. The actor’s team got incessant calls and even the Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police had contacted the actor’s management only to know it was a rumour. The gravity of the situation was worse because some legitimate sites picked up the report and published it without any credibility. It had reached the top groups through WhatsApp which caused more panic.
Dilip Kumar: Dilip Kumar, given his old age, has frequent trips to the hospital. These visits have been a reason many times to create a death declaration about him. Twitter was full of heartfelt condolences too but it was only a hoax. The actor has been suffering from kidney issues, so the internet also falls to the rumours every time. "Big loss of the film industry. Bollywood superstar Dilip Kumar passes away at Lilavati Hospital of Mumbai," the message read on WhatsApp few years back. But his family members and he himself have cleared the rumours time and again.
Aishwarya Rai: Just like her father-in-law, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has also fallen prey to death hoaxes. There were rumours that post her steamy photos with Ranbir Kapoor, she was tortured in the Bachchan family. Owing to this she took a lot of tranquillizers and attempted suicide. A website went ahead to add that a physician was called home to keep the matter hushed up! Although this was recent there was another rumour from 2006, which said Aishwarya Rai died in a car accident in US. They gave details about the car speed and the area too. It also said that she might have been under the toxic influence. It was a report on a fake website which got picked up by a news report.
Rowan Atkinson: Mr. Bean star Rowan Atkinson has been loved immensely for his onscreen character. So naturally, when they are reports of his death it is going to make fans sad. He too has a victim of death hoax again and again, sometimes a suicide or either an accident. In 2017, a Twitter user posing as FOX News broadcaster tweeted that the actor had died in a car crash. Moreover, it attached a link which upon clicking downloaded a virus in your computer. This too was widely shared and moreover, they were people paying tributes to the actor who made them laugh!
Such news are usually a result of gaining attention and likes in the name of sensationalisation. It is a sad state of affairs and it can affect the fans and followers on a more serious level. It also causes a state of panic and it is just wrong on many levels to make fake news out of someone's death. The best is to check all the authenticity of such reports before passing them ahead.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2018 05:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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