Is the Toby Keith hospice video real? Viral TikTok claim explored 

Netizens are claiming that Toby Keith shared in a video that he was receiving hospice care in his home. This comes after the legendary country singer died after struggling with cancer. Although the assumptions have spread across TikTok, the claim is far from the truth. The musician did not release a hospice video at any point.

For those uninitiated, the Should’ve Been a Cowboy singer passed away on February 5, 2024, after battling stomach cancer. He had taken the stage just a few months before his death, performing at the People’s Choice Country Awards on September 28, 2023.

In the wake of Keit's death, a video of a person who resembles the country singer has been going viral on TikTok. The person can be heard stating the following:

“Well my friends, the time has come for me to begin saying farewell. Just a couple of days ago, I signed the intake papers for hospice, which is end-of-life healthcare at home, and it wasn’t a difficult choice."

The individual further added,

"It was a difficult decision to make, but not a difficult choice because I didn’t have much of a choice. The chemotherapy that I’d been undergoing for over a year is no longer working, and if I continue on it, just to keep it at bay, it’s doing more damage than cancer is.”

The person also stated in the video that he likely has six months to live. Although netizens claim that it is Toby Keith in the video, it most certainly is not.

Claims of the musician sharing a "hospice" video go viral (Image via henrymasonjr/TikTok)

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Toby Keith did not release a video sharing his supposed hospice details

Despite netizens claiming that the person in the video was the Red Solo Cup singer, it was not. Joel Mason, an alleged impersonator of the deceased singer, has been identified as the man in the video. The duo bears a tremendous resemblance, leading many to believe that it was Toby Keith in the video.

Joel Mason uploaded the hospice video many are talking about to his official Facebook page on July 17. He captioned the post, “IMPORTANT MESSAGE FINAL CANCER STORY UPDATE.”

“I know I have lived a very unique, satisfying life. I know it’s rare and I just feel so grateful that these experiences that I’ve had, the career that I’ve had, and the friends that I’ve had have just been so rich. And I want that for you too," Mason revealed.

Following the barrage of comments claiming otherwise, Facebook user Ritch Cassidy took to the social networking site to debunk the assumptions that it was Toby Keith in the video. Sharing how TikToker Henry Mason Jr. spread disinformation, Cassidy said,

"Henry Mason Jr, just took the REAL video, and reposted it as Toby in Hospice. I'm being serious when I tell you my blood rarely boils, but it did seeing these. Thankfully over my years in country music, I have dear friends that worked close with Toby and I immediately made them aware of the video and fans believing it was Toby."

Cassidy also revealed that Joel Mason was a renowned Las Vegas comedian and actor who lost his battle to cancer in August 2023.

The Hospice of North Central Oklahoma, Inc., also took to Facebook to confirm that it was Joel Mason in the video in reality.

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"It's a little bit of a roller coaster": Toby Keith performed on stage months before his death

Before his death, Toby Keith underwent multiple treatments for his cancer, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. He shared his diagnosis with followers in June 2022, after receiving the news himself six months prior.

Keith graced the stage in December 2023 to perform at the Las Vegas Dolby Live venue. He was also present at the People’s Choice Country Awards in September. The country singer told E! News,

“It’s a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days, and, you know, you’re up and down, up and down. It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today.”

Toby Keith’s team had not publicly addressed the false claims at the time of writing this article.