Celebrity death hoax "reports"

Came across this so it just shows how a hoax can be started and believed please note the MJ one in 94 so would not be unusual for him to have the idea knowing it would be taken seriuosly ;

Celebrity Death Hoaxes
A death hoax involves falsely reporting the death of someone still living. This kind of hoax has been a favorite of pranksters for centuries. Early practitioners of it included Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Swift.
The most famous death hoax of all time was the “Paul is dead” rumor of 1968, in which the claim that Paul McCartney of the Beatles had died swept throughout America and Great Britain.
In recent years, hoaxes alleging that various celebrities have died have become a frequent fixture in the news. Much of the reason for the popularity of this hoax can be attributed to the internet, which has made such hoaxes easier to perpetrate. A would-be hoaxer simply has to produce an email or webpage that imitates the look of a credible news source. Concerned fans will then forward the fake news story to their friends, inadvertently giving the hoax greater visibility.
Some journalists have noted that, ironically, being the target of such a prank has become a mark of status in our celebrity culture. Michael Heaton of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that, “It is the zenith of cultural obsession to have false rumors of someone’s death spread like goose grease across the land.”
Below is a list of some recent celebrity death hoaxes.
Paris Hilton. June 2007.


In June 2007 several articles posted online separately claimed that celebrity heiress Paris Hilton had died while in jail. One article, disguised to look like a CNN page, claimed she had been stabbed. Another article, disguised to look like a news release from Australia’s ABC network, alleged she had committed suicide. Paris Hilton was in jail at the time, but she was definitely still alive. See Paris Hilton Death Hoax.
March, 2006: Will Ferrell


An obituary uploaded to the wire service iNewswire in March 2006 claimed that the comedian had died in a paragliding accident “after a freak wind gush basically blew Ferrell and his companion towards a wooded area where they lost control before crashing into dense foilage.”
January, 2005: John Goodman.


An obituary that circulated by email claimed that the actor John Goodman had collapsed from a heart attack.
Eminem


Rap star Eminem. In December 2000 news reports claimed that he was the victim of a car crash.
Susanne Shaw


Suzanne Shaw of the band Hear’Say. In May 2001 the BBC reported she had been found dead in her home.
Lou Reed


Rock legend Lou Reed. In May 2001 numerous radio stations reported he had been found dead in his apartment. Cause of death: Drug overdose.
Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears


Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. In June 2001 a Los Angeles radio station reported that the couple had died together in a car crash (just like Eminem). It was a really bad year death-wise for Britney Spears because in October her death was reported again. Once more it was an automobile accident that did her in. In this second case a twenty-two-year-old hacker named Tim Fries managed to make it appear as if the report of her death was on CNN’s website, thus adding far more credibility to the story.
Johnny Knoxville


Jackass star Johnny Knoxville. A notice on the internet claimed he had died “while being filmed parachuting from a biplane whilst eating a catering sized tub of Heinz baked beans, when his parachute failed to open.”
Carl Lewis


Athlete Carl Lewis. In July 2003 he was reported to have been killed in a bicycle accident. The fake report was actually written by a biking enthusiast to draw attention to an abutment in a Houston park that he considered dangerous.
Michael Jackson


Michael Jackson. Supposedly committed suicide in April 2004 by “consuming more than two-dozen sleeping pills,” according to an internet report.
Margaret Thatcher


Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. A fake news story (disguised as a page from the Guardian) reported the passing of the Iron Lady. As a tribute to her, Stephen Hawking was supposedly going to speak in her voice.
Jon Heder


Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder. An email rumor claimed he crashed and died while driving to Oregon. It partially read: “John Heder, lead role in Napoleon Dynamite, died of head injuries after undergoing a highway car accident two days ago. He was riding in the passenger seat on his way to Salem, Oregon with his friend Mike McHill when the driver supposedly saw a deer run in front of the car. Mike overcorrected and drove off a steep ten foot embankment after rolling three or four times.”
William Hung


American Idol anti-hero William Hung. The source of his false death report was a faux-news piece on the site Broken Newz. He was said to have OD’d from heroin, leaving a suicide note that read: “I have no reason of living… my art which is my importance to the best everybody laugh to… I make end here… goodbye world of cruel.”

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All Text Copyright 2008 Alex Boese, except where otherwise indicated.

hmm this is interesting,but,i thought more than one hoax on michael of 04,is this the same hoax that had been reported on the news?or radio stations or something ? thanks for posting harleyblonde appreciate it

i could have sworn there was one more recent that they said was due to heart attack,or cardiac arrest,but,i thought was later and closer to "real"death date

"Tuesday, 20 Apr 2004


Fans of pop superstar Michael Jackson were left devastated on Friday by false reports the troubled singer had committed suicide. The reports, which were later revealed to be a hoax, emerged on a London- based internet site, which ran the headline: "Breaking News: Musician Michael Jackson found dead." It was claimed Jackson had suffered a heart attack after overdosing on sleeping pills. After the rumor reached America, a spokesperson for the singer insisted, "It's a lie, Michael is safe and well, this is just a rumor that came out of London, we are not happy about it at all."
http://www.starswelove.com/scriptsphp/news.php?newsid=4479

There was also the case of Vernon Kay and Peter Andre.

Someone on Wikipedia changed Vernon Kay's page that say that he had passed away in a boating accident. It made all the news channels and newspapers and his wife had to make an announcement that it wasn't true.

Peter Andre was also rumoured to have passed away due to meningitis and he had to release a statement via his publicist to advise it wasn't true.

I guess celebrity death hoax rumours have been circulating for a long time.

On Dec 2008 a radio station reported that MJ has died.
Recently a hoax about K. West death was spread by Twitter.
I remember that I read a report that stated that the "real" MJ's death on June was spread firstly on the Internet, mainly by Twitter. Hmmm...

http://allieiswired.com/archives/2008/12/michael-jackson-on-death%E2%80%99s-doorstep/

The above claims were given in December last year.

Looks cute in his pajama bottoms though eh?

WOW,that article even says jermaine DIDNT deny,also i just figured out,forgive me i am slow witted at times LOL but,this either obvously proves that ian guy if a LIAR,and or,this was being thought of for awhile and YES YES YES,he looks adorable in the pj's.i havent seen him wear anything yet that he doesnt make it look good tho, LOL