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On November 14, rumors of Jimmy Fallon’s death circulated across Twitter. Netizens were stunned by the announcement, which led to the hashtag “RIPJimmyFallon” trending on the social media platform. However, the news is not true. The late-night show host is alive and well.
Twitter page @FallonTonight posted an announcement that read that Jimmy Fallon had passed away. A black and white image of the television host along with a dog was uploaded as well. The tweet read:
“It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of late night legend, husband, and father of two, Jimmy Fallon. 1923-2022.”
The tweet was quick to go viral on the social media platform, with netizens expressing shock over the news. Many were convinced that the announcement was true, as it appeared that it came from the host’s official late-night show account. However, the news is untrue.
The anchor's birth year from the tweet was wrong. Jimmy Fallon was not born in 1923, but in 1974. This would make him 48 years old. If one was to believe the year mentioned in the tweet, it would mean that Fallon would be 99 years old.
Evidently, an unknown person used Photoshop to edit the social media post and create a fake tweet.
Netizens fall victim to Jimmy Fallon’s death hoax
Several internet users did not verify the tweet and were quick to believe the same. Netizens flooded Twitter with tweets that paid tribute to the television host. Many expressed shock and sadness over the fake news breaking online. Some also created memes about the matter at hand. A few tweets read:
Television host confirms he is alive and well
After the hashtag began trending, Jimmy Fallon took to the platform and jokingly asked new Twitter owner Elon Musk to “fix” the news of his death going viral. The tweet read:
Fallon’s representatives also confirmed that the host is alive. Their official statement read that Fallon:
“joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.”
It seems like the fake tweet is a celebrity death hoax. Several high-profile stars have fallen victim to the trend, including Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, JK Rowling, and Bad Bunny, among others. People create fake news in the form of clickbait content to garner massive traction online and gain popularity.
Unfortunately, misinformation circulates online just for internet “clout.” When news of large gravity breaks online, it is important to fact-check the same through other credible publications.
How to report fake tweets on the platform
To ensure that one does not fall victim to believing such false rumors, they can report false information if they speculate it being so. To do so, one must follow the steps below:
1. Navigate to the Tweet one would like to report,
2. Select the icon located at the top of the tweet,
3. They must then select the “Report Tweet” option.
