Reports of Whitney Houston's Death Denied - Celebrity Death Hoaxes

A death hoax involves falsely reporting the death of someone still living. This kind of hoax has been a favorite of pranksters for centuries. Early practitioners of it included Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Swift.
The most famous death hoax of all time was the “Paul is dead” rumor of 1968, in which the claim that Paul McCartney of the Beatles had died swept throughout America and Great Britain.
In recent years, hoaxes alleging that various celebrities have died have become a frequent fixture in the news. Much of the reason for the popularity of this hoax can be attributed to the internet, which has made such hoaxes easier to perpetrate. A would-be hoaxer simply has to produce an email or webpage that imitates the look of a credible news source. Concerned fans will then forward the fake news story to their friends, inadvertently giving the hoax greater visibility.
Some journalists have noted that, ironically, being the target of such a prank has become a mark of status in our celebrity culture. Michael Heaton of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that, “It is the zenith of cultural obsession to have false rumors of someone’s death spread like goose grease across the land.”

-Paris Hilton. June 2007


-March, 2006: Will Ferrell

January, 2005: John Goodman

-Rap star Eminem. In December 2000 news reports claimed that he was the victim of a car crash

-Suzanne Shaw of the band Hear’Say. In May 2001 the BBC reported she had been found dead in her home

-Rock legend Lou Reed. In May 2001 numerous radio stations reported he had been found dead in his apartment. Cause of death: Drug overdose

-Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears

-Michael Jackson. Supposedly committed suicide in April 2004 by “consuming more than two-dozen sleeping pills,” according to an internet report.