Stephen King dead 2016 : ‘Carrie’ author killed by celebrity death hoax - Mediamass
By Jessica Simpson
Washington
Last updated on January 25, 2016
Stephen King is the latest celeb to fall victim to a death hoax
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News of author Stephen King’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the January 2016 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the author of the Dark Tower and Carrie is alive and well.
UPDATE 25/01/2016 : This story seems to be false.
Stephen King death hoax spreads on Facebook
Rumors of the author’s alleged demise gained traction on Saturday after a ‘R.I.P. Stephen King’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American author’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (January 23, 2016), our beloved author Stephen King passed away. Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947 in Portland. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 68-year-old author was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an author of Stephen King's stature would be major news across networks.
A recent poll conducted for the Celebrity Post shows that a large majority (78%) of respondents think those Stephen King death rumors are not funny anymore.
Stephen King Death Hoax Dismissed Since Author Is ‘Alive And Well’
On Sunday (January 24) the author's reps officially confirmed that Stephen King is not dead. “He 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,” they said.
Some fans have expressed anger at the fake report saying it was reckless, distressing and hurtful to fans of the much loved author. Others say this shows his extreme popularity across the globe.
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