Did Aunt Bam from 'Madea' pass away? Cassi Davis’s death hoax claim explored

A rumor circulated online recently that actress Cassi Davis, who played the role of Aunt Bam in the Madea movie franchise, has reportedly passed away. Several users on Facebook have been coming up with the claim since late March 2025 continuing until today, April 7, 2025.

However, the now-viral rumor turned out to be a death hoax that originally surfaced in February 2023 on Facebook and YouTube. At the time, Tyler Perry, the director of many of Cassi Davis’s shows, shut down the rumors via an Instagram post.

Sharing a screenshot of a headline that read, “American actress Cassi Davis died of lung cancer at the age of 58,” Perry wrote, “THIS IS A LIE” in bold red letters splashed across the post. Back then, Tyler also called out whoever spread the false rumors.

The recent claim also appears to have stemmed from the two-year-old death hoax, and there are no verified sources that have confirmed the alleged demise of Cassi Davis.

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Exploring further Cassi Davis’s death hoax from 2023

In early 2023, a similar rumor went viral online that Cassi Davis had reportedly died from cancer. However, Tyler Perry quickly refuted it via an Instagram post. He shared it was a “lie” and was sent an “article” about Davis seemingly being dead.

The New Orleans actor, filmmaker, and producer claimed he received “several calls” from people offering their “condolences” and was confused about what they were talking about until he realized it was a hoax about Cassi.

“I don’t know how she could have died and nobody told me or her. So, I called her and asked her, was she dead, and she said hell no! Can whoever is responsible for this please stop you better be careful when you speak death over a child of God,” the caption continued.

Tyler Perry added,

“This woman is loved by millions and you’re hurting a lot of people. Cassi is fine living her best life with no worries, no cares, no social media, and no drama. She’s waiting to shoot the next season of ‘House of Payne.’”

Perry’s post, which also came with an audio message, revealed that when he reached out to Davis, she made jokes about the hoax and added that she’d “died more times than a cat,” and it was the third or fourth time that the fake news had surfaced.

Tyler shared that he told Cassi how he would make an “official announcement” when she “died for real”; however, she quipped she would “outlive” him. Reportedly, she also joked about wanting a pool burial at Tyler Perry’s house when she would actually die.

Back then, actor Palmer Williams Jr., who appeared on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne alongside Cassi Davis, further dismissed the rumors via Instagram, stating his fellow actor was “NOT DEAD!!!!”

“She’s very much alive… If you know the person responsible for spreading that rumor, tell them to stop,” he added.

Palmer also explained he was in touch with Cassi over texts, talked to her frequently, and called out whoever was responsible for the “terrible hoax.” He mentioned that if the news was true, it would have been “breaking news,” especially in Atlanta where the show was “home-grown".

Mr. Perry would have also announced it, while the cast and crew would have paid their tributes. He also warned people to be “careful” and steer clear of such hoaxes.

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Notably, there have been no reports of Cassi Davis ever being diagnosed with cancer. Her full name is Cassi Davis-Patton. She played Ella Payne on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and its sequel, The Paynes. She is 60 years old and hails from Holly Springs, Mississippi. She is married to Kerry Patton.