Nelson Mandela is not dead, putting an end to internet rumors that South Africa’s first black president is pushing daisies.
Yet again, another famous face falls victim to a social media death rumor. Mandela, 93, was rumored to have died today. The rumor spread on Twitter and quickly became a trending topic on the social media site in South Africa.
News24 reported that City Press assistant editor Adriaan Basson tweeted, “Almost certain Mandela death is twitter hoax. Zelda [la Grange] says she’s heard nothing like that and [a] family member told @SaPolitics1 [political journalist Cedric Mboyisa] Tata is fine.”
According to Reuters, we can rest easy because the Former South African President Nelson Mandela is confirmed alive and well, SABC reported.
Worried fans, seemed eager to find out if Mandela was alive and well. After all, his health hasn’t been in tip top shape in the past—He was hospitalized earlier this year after suffering an acute respiratory infection and according to Reuters, Mandela was diagnosed with tuberculosis in the 1980s while he was jailed and later had an operation to repair damage to his eyes and in 2001 he had treatment for prostate cancer.
Mandela isn’t the first one to die via Twitter. Will Smith “Died” back in May. The story appeared on FakeAWish.com and claimed that the former Fresh Prince star took a tumble for the worst from a New Zealand cliff.
“Actor Will Smith died while filming a movie in New Zealand early this morning – May 30, 2011. Preliminary reports from New Zealand Police officials indicate that the actor fell more than 60 feet to his death on the Kauri Cliffs while on-set. Specific details are not yet available. The accident occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. (UTC/GMT +12),” read a report.
Earlier, New Zealand was involved in another celebrity rumor. It was here that an “alive” Tupac was reported. PBS reported that the dead rapper, Tupac Shakur was spotted alive (He died in Las Vegas in 1996) and well in a New Zealand resort. The claim would later become revealed as the work of hackers.
Will Smith’s son was also the victim of an internet killing. Smith’s 12-year-old son, Jaden Smith, reportedly died in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland. Global Associated News reported, “Actor Jaden Smith is reported to have died shortly after a snowboard accident earlier today.”
Adorable Pictures of Jaden Smith As A Little Boy
Jackie Chan “died” on the internet too. The blog Skiphopz put together a fake CNN article claiming that the actor died of a heart attack.
