Steve Harvey fans furious as he becomes victim of fourth death hoax this year: 'Nearly had a stroke'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Iconic 'Family Feud' host and all-around beloved entertainer Steve Harvey became the latest target of a bizarre death hoax, leaving fans on social media in a frenzy.
At 67, Harvey’s still very much alive and thriving, but that didn’t stop an apparent AI-generated article from falsely claiming he had died - and let’s just say people were not having it.
NewsBreak’s AI-generated blunder sparks flood of reactions
It all started when fans received a push notification from the NewsBreak app, a popular platform known for aggregating the latest headlines. Unfortunately, it failed spectacularly this time. The notification led users to an article on Trend Cast News, a lesser-known website with a byline attributed to “Future Tech Prediction.”
The false report claimed Harvey had died, and fans weren’t amused.
@newsbreakApp stop sending these false news sources to my phone. wtf is this shit? @Apple yall gotta do better. Steve Harvey is alive and well. pic.twitter.com/1nBH2IKARQ
— J.u.j.u (@SinfulLiees_) December 18, 2024
Screenshots of the push notification began making the rounds on social media, sparking outrage.
"I woke up to this Steve Harvey passed 'news' and just reading the headline, I knew it was bs but bro," one person wrote, sharing a screengrab. "This NewsBreak app just posts/shares anything. I have a love-hate relationship with this app. They want to be credible but allow whatever."
Another fumed, "Gmorn'n did anyone else wake up to Steve Harvey passed away news and it was a spam or virus link."
"Chill out Steve Harvey did not die … Why they doin him like that?" a third added.
"Got a notification on my phone that Steve Harvey passed away... then some virus shit popped up and started scanning. Wtf is going on?" someone else asked.
"Nearly had a stroke when I got news that Steve Harvey passed away," read a comment.
"The internet really need to stop playing with people’s lives. That false ass news about Steve Harvey being dead wrong asf. Smh," another chimed in.
I woke up to this Steve Harvey passed “news” and just reading the headline, I knew it was bs but bro… This NewsBreak app just posts/shares anything😭 I have a love hate relationship with this app. They want to be credible but allow whatever🥴 pic.twitter.com/Vl1VZ4Pv94
— S. J💗 (@simply_sjn) December 18, 2024
Gmorn'n did anyone else wake up to Steve Harvey passed away news and it was a Spam or virus link pic.twitter.com/5l9wVP2ACI
— Bronx_Born_NC_Bred (@Dahvee32) December 18, 2024
Chill out Steve Harvey did not die 🤣… Why they doin him like that? pic.twitter.com/Snq66Da77i
— Green610 (@green610_) December 18, 2024
Got a notification on my phone that Steve Harvey passed away... then some virus shit popped up and started scanning. Wtf is going on?
— DescipleBlake (@descipleblake) December 18, 2024
Nearly had a stroke when I got news that Steve Harvey passed away... pic.twitter.com/4qsK4WWk0Z
— Lebang Moloi (@lebang_moloi) December 18, 2024
The internet really need to stop playing with people’s lives. That false ass news about Steve Harvey being dead wrong asf. Smh 😒
— Tória Dar’Shày (@toria_shay86) December 18, 2024
Steve Harvey is unbothered by death hoax
While fans were busy debunking the rumors and fuming over the irresponsibility of AI-generated content, Harvey himself remained cool as ever. The comedian and host hasn’t directly addressed the hoax, but his social media activity proves he’s very much alive and living his best life.
On the morning of Tuesday, December 18, Harvey posted to his 6.1 million followers: “Lord I’m up, I want to thank you, For a new day.”
Lord I'm up, I want to thank you, For a new day. 🤍🙌🏾
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) December 17, 2024
Over on Facebook, he shared a heartwarming Christmas throwback post: “Throwing it back to Christmas moments filled with love, laughter, and reflection. Grateful for my rock, my queen, Marjorie. Every year, every memory, every blessing.” Alongside the caption was a gorgeous holiday portrait of him and his wife Marjorie Harvey.
If you think this is Harvey’s first time dealing with fake death rumors, think again. This is actually the fourth time this year that Harvey has been “killed off” by the Internet.
Back in October, Snopes had to step in to debunk another wild claim that Harvey had died in a car crash. Before that, similar rumors spread in March and November, The Sun reported.
The man himself has even poked fun at the situation in the past. After one particularly ridiculous rumor, Harvey shared a picture of himself with a cigar, staring at his phone, and captioned it: “Me seeing that RIP Harvey is trending.”
Steve Harvey isn’t alone in the celebrity death hoax club
Steve Harvey isn’t the only star to fall victim to such internet rumors.
Country music legend Alan Jackson faced a similar ordeal in November 2022 when the website FNEWS2 falsely reported his death. They even slapped the abbreviation “RIP” on his framed picture, alongside the title: “6 minutes ago/with a heavy heart as we report the sad news of 64-year-old singer Alan Jackson.”
FNEWS2 has a history of spreading fake news, having previously targeted big names like Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, and Dolly Parton with baseless death claims, according to The Sun.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online
