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News of American YouTuber and Twitch streamer Joe Bartolozzi passing away has been making its rounds on social media. The rumors spread in June 2023, when #JoeBartolozziDead and #JoeBartolozziRIP began trending on TikTok, leaving his fans confused and sending them scurrying for information.
However, the content creator is alive and well. The hoax was proved when Joe continued to share posts across his various social media handles days after the rumors gained traction.
The 21-year-old influencer is known for his comedic videos and gaming content. He first rose to fame on TikTok, where he currently hosts over 22 million followers and 1.7 billion likes.
Who is Joe Bartolozzi?: More about the death hoax trend on TikTok
Joseph "Joe" Bartolozzi is known for his gaming videos on YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch streams. His distinct comedic content and sarcastic angry commentary have made him a hit among young netizens.
He started this YouTube channel in June 2020, uploading rants about various topics, including his dislike for public bathrooms. However, soon he switched to sharing highlight clips of his Twitch streams. Over the next two years, his channel hosted over a million subscribers.
While it's difficult to pinpoint who first started the rumor, sometime in early June, several TikTokers began posting sentimental photos of Joe Bartolozzi, claiming he died. Some of the videos had American Pie by Don McLean playing in the background.
Concerned fans quickly took to social media to express their thoughts. Many also flooded Joe Bartolozzi's channel to get a more informed update.
As the content creator continued to upload his videos, several fans joked that the influencer's page was sharing pre-recorded videos. Many even went on to speculate the cause of death.
This resulted in the TikToker taking matters into his and informing fans he was alive.
Joe Bartolozzi is not the only celebrity who has fallen victim to the death hoax trend
On Friday, June 23, 2023, a fake rumor that Marvel actor Jeremy Renner has died made its headlines after an article titled, Jeremy Renner, actor, passes away at 52 from freak escalator accident, went viral on Twitter. The bogus claim was first shared by Twitter user LeVar Burzum, @weedhitter, with the comment:
"Imagine surviving a literal screaming metal death machine in a frigid tundra miles away from society only to eat sh*t on a mall escalator lol..."
As the rumors gained traction, the hashtag #ripjeremyrenner soon began trending on the micro-blogging platform. The article went viral with over a million views.
However, the fake article that credited The Guardian's deputy culture editor Sian Cain eventually turned out to be a doctored copy of an article written back in March. The original article focused on Renner's snowplow accident that occurred in January.
The rumors left several fans enraged and bitter.
Joe Bartolozzi has posted several times that he is, in fact, alive. Considering the popularity of the influencer, a public announcement would have been released if he had indeed passed away.
