Comedian Betty White, age 94, best known for her parts on “The Golden Girls,” and “Hot in Cleveland,” is alive and kicking. White was a victim of a death hoax. The rumor began to spread in Jan. 2017.
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (January 07, 2017), our beloved actress Betty White passed away…She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
This post spread throughout Facebook and other popular social-media sites. Afterward, people started writing ‘R.I.P Betty White’ posts on the page that started the death hoax and on personal pages to express their sympathy and sadness.
Some of White’s fans believed the hoax at first, while there were some who were not fooled by the news. Doubt built among fans who remembered there were many other death hoaxes about celebrities. People soon realized that there had been no cause of death reported. No reports on any major news site about her death were found, which proved the story was fake.
On Jan. 8, White’s representatives shared that she is alive and well. Fans were not happy to hear the hoax. After they had discovered it was fake, people were even more outraged, on the other hand, they were glad to hear that she is well.
White was the subject of a death hoax, as well as many other famous people. The list of celebrities subjected to a death hoax includes Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jordan, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jaden Smith, the Queen of England, and Rowan Atkinson; as a result, many fans had a reason to believe that the story was false.
The Cause of Betty White’s Death Hoax:
A title of an article that was worded an interesting way was taken completely wrong and created the hoax. The headline was explained that White “Dyes Peacefully” at home reports The Gamer’s Drop.
The antagonist took the word dyes and changed it turning it into dies creating the rumor. The article was originally about how a limited number of people know that White’s hair is not blonde and that she dyes it in the comfort of her Los Angeles home.
A previous death hoax occurred shortly after the article was originally published. She was once again the subject of false news after the article was relocated.
The Facebook page about White’s “death” is nothing but a shortcut to the hoax that has gone viral and people want it to be overlooked and not believed.
Plan To Keep Betty White Alive Through 2017
In 2016, Demetrios Hrysikos, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, started a GoFundMe account for White to help her stay alive through 2017 or “protect Betty White, 94, from the grim reaper” according to Hrysikos. When the page was first made, his goal was to reach $10,000. The cause went viral and made more than $6,700 in a short period. The donations will be held at Spartanburg Little Theater.
Hrysikos updated the page and posted that he is happy he got as far as he did and was shocked by all the support he got in the project.
By Marrissa K.
Edited by Cathy Milne
Sources:
MediaMass: “Betty White dead 2017” : Actress killed by internet death hoax
Morning News USA: Betty White Is Not Dead: Actress Passed Away On October 8 According To Hoax
Fox News Entertainment: Man starts GoFundMe page to keep Betty White alive through 2016
Featured Image Courtesy of Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of U.S. Department Of Agriculture’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
