Did Steve Harvey pass away at 56? Viral NewsBreak article headline sparks meltdown online 

A recent NewsBreak article published on December 18, made claims that Steve Harvey had passed away at 56. The article further stated that the news had shocked fans. The news went viral soon with confused netizens reaching out to media outlets to get a confirmation.

According to Geo News, several smartphone users received a notification which made the claims about Harvey's death. It was unclear initially as to how the rumors started in the first place.

However, it is to be noted that the news is fake and Harvey is alive. Some netizens also mentioned that it was possibly a virus which baited viewers to click on the NewsBreak link. An X user with the username (@descipleblake) tweeted:

"Got a notification on my phone that Steve Harvey passed away... then some virus shit popped up and started scanning. Wtf is going on?"

Another user wrote:

"Gmorn'n did anyone else wake up to Steve Harvey passed away news and it was a Spam or virus link."

A Facebook user (Karen Brown) also claimed that it was a link which would trigger the download of a virus, once clicked.

Furthermore, Harvey is currently 67 years old, while the article claimed him to be 56. No prominent media outlets had covered any such news about Steve's death. Hence, it is safe to conclude that the news is fake and the TV host and comedian is alive.

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Rumors about Steve Harvey's death have been circulated across social media previously as well

While debunking the recent rumors about Steve Harvey's death, it is worth noting that this wasn't the first time that such rumors about him got circulated online. A few months back, similar speculations were all over the internet claiming that the TV host had passed away.

Dubawa reported that while the rumors were there since July, they gained traction only in August and September. Several posts were made on social media where netizens seemed to have believed it and paid tributes to Harvey. The rumors were then debunked by Dubawa.

Prior to that, in March 2023, a misleading YouTube video went viral, which again claimed that Harvey had passed away. The now-removed video claimed:

"1 hour ago, American TV icon Steve Harvey suddenly died at home at the age of 66."

Snopes did a fact check and then debunked the rumors and clairified that the TV host was alive then. The outlet also stated that a fake obituary was also discovered at the time, which read:

"Steve Harvey, born on January 17, 1957 in Welch, was an American actor, comedian and television host. He died on March 4, 2023 at the age of 66."

Snopes also gave insights into the YouTube channel that posted the original video, starting the death hoax. The channel has apparently posted similar videos about other celebrities including Liam Neeson and Richard Gere. Harvey became a victim to another death hoax in 2022 as well.

As for the current speculation, it is clear that it is just another rumor claiming his demise without any basis.