The Year in Comedian Death Hoaxes
We’re not sure what online pranksters get out of spreading death rumors about celebrities, but at least when the hoax is about a comedian, there’s a chance the still-alive entertainer will appreciate the bit. Comedians dotted the celebrity death hoax index throughout 2023, and we’re happy to report that all of these funny people are still with us as we march into 2024.
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Ben Stiller
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Right around Thanksgiving, the word started spreading that Stiller had headed for that big comedy club in the sky. Apparently, Anderson Cooper was heartbroken when he delivered the news.
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According to Snopes, a TikTok post proclaiming Stiller’s death had more than 130,000 views. Adding to the confusion: A MediaMass story proclaiming the death a hoax — but because MediaMass calls itself a satire site, did that mean the Stiller report was real? The news seemed possible because it claimed Stiller died from prostate cancer, which the comic actor was diagnosed with and treated for back in 2014.
One way to know Stiller is still with us (besides Snopes debunking the rumors)? His nightly cheers and groans on Twitter about how his beloved hometown hoops team is doing.
Josh Peck
The non-problematic half of kid comedy duo Drake & Josh “died” in September except for, of course, he didn’t.
The rumormongers never provided a cause of death for the still-kicking Peck. Come on, comic Bert Kreischer was posting podcast clips with Peck at virtually the same time people were proclaiming he’d left this mortal coil.
Snopes theorized that the rumors may have begun after another man, “MAGA Josh,” allegedly passed away, although the debunkers couldn’t prove that one either. In the meantime, Peck was out there this week trying to get fellow child star Miranda Cosgrove plastered.
Steve Harvey x FOUR
The King of Comedy Death Hoaxes is Steve Harvey, the victim of four death hoaxes in 2023. What the heck did the Family Feud host do to deserve this? According to the internet, Harvey passed away in November…
Kicked the bucket in September after the similarly named Steve Harwell from the pop group Smashmouth died, and pushed up daisies in June after the hashtag #RIP Harvey trended (it actually referenced the death of a Tennessee radio personality, Harvey Doyle)…
And slept with the fishes in March after another YouTube video made the rounds…
Snopes slapped down all the rumors, which didn’t exactly make Harvey feel better about any of this. The poor dude died four times this year!
Wishing you a rumor-free 2024, big guy.
