I’m guilty of sharing a Facebook post with questionable information. Hey, don’t judge me. Of course, I know better. Before getting over the shock of reading that “Empire” actress Gabourey Sidibe died from complications of an asthma attack, I hit the share button. The post was immediately inundated with comments. Some people offered condolences while others said it was impossible. Sidibe, 32, had just been on a live late-night talk show earlier in the week. The kicker was that the blog post from Ada Freeman was dated for March 14. The talk show took place days later. It didn’t add up, but hoaxes happen.
Internet Celebrity Hoaxes Can Cause Division
Some friends were upset with my morbid and unconfirmed share and wished that I would remove it. I didn’t. I have a rule about my timeline. It’s mine and I manage it. You’re invited to comment and like, you can even comment and dislike. But don’t tell me to delete my stuff. Instead of ending friendships with people I know in real life, I went on a mission. I admit being intrigued with the entire internet death hoax phenomenon.
In 2016 Everyone’s A Blogger
As I typed into the Google search engine, I wondered why Freeman didn’t make a retraction. It occurred to me that perhaps she really believed it. I had never heard of Freeman before and had no reason to think she or anyone else with a blog would post such an untruth. For what?
The Public Stays Thirsty For Celebrity News
Turns out that the general public looks for any morsel of celebrity life and if it’s bad news it goes viral very quickly. Snopes.com has a long list of celebrities that are killed off through social media. You’ve heard of them. Here’s a sampling: Bill Cosby, William Sanford Nye, a.k.a. “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” Alfonso Ribeiro, Adam Sandler, Tom Kenny, the voice of “SpongeBob SquarePants, John Cena, Tony Danza, Eminem, Morgan Freeman, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, Johnny Depp, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy happens to die an internet death every three or four months.
Sidibe’s Camp Rides It Out
The entire Snopes list is male. Sidibe is a woman and being added to the roster may mean she’s hit the big time. The fact that there hasn’t been any word from her publicists points to her camp’s decision to ride things out until the rumors die down. It has to be hard on celebrities to meet demise via social media.
Doing The Right Thing
I think it’s safe to say Sidibe is alive and well. We don’t know who will be named next on the hoax “hit list” but rest assured Sidibe won’t be the last celebrity to be named in an internet death hoax. I’m going to remove my post tomorrow in Sidibe’s honor. I’ve thought about it, and it’s the right thing to do.
Featured Image: Sean P. Anderson Under a Creative Commons License 2.0
