Outline:
Circulating social media posts claim that American actor and musician Jack Black has died.
Brief Analysis:
The claims are untrue. Jack Black is alive and well. The rumours began circulating after a supposedly official death announcement was posted on the Twitter feed of Jack’s comedy band Tenacious D. However, Tenacious D’s Twitter account was hacked and used to perpetrate the nasty death prank.
Detailed Analysis:
Fans of much loved American actor and musician Jack Black were shocked and saddened in early June 2016 after seemingly legitimate messages announcing the star’s death began circulating on Twitter and other social media sites. Because the messages originated from the official Twitter feed of Jack Black’s comedy band Tenacious D, many people initially believed that the death claim was true.
Thankfully, however, the death announcements were just a nasty prank. Jack Black is alive and well. Tenacious D’s Twitter feed was hacked and used to send the false death posts. Tenacious D notes in a Twitter post denouncing the prank:
WE had our Twitter account hacked. We can assure you that Jack is ALIVE and WELL and that this was a sick “prank”.
WE had our Twitter account hacked. We can assure you that Jack is ALIVE and WELL and that this was a sick “prank”.
— Tenacious D (@RealTenaciousD) June 5, 2016
Celebrity death hoaxes and scams are very common. Keep in mind that, if a celebrity really does die, his or her passing is always extensively covered by the mainstream news media. So, searching a news portal such as Google News should quickly reveal of a circulating celebrity death story is true. It is always wise to verify such death stories before you share them on your social networks.
Last updated: June 6, 2016
First published: June 6, 2016
By Brett M. Christensen
About Hoax-Slayer
References
Tenacious D on Twitter
Don’t Get Caught by Celebrity Death Hoaxes and Scams
Death Hoaxes – Celebrity Death Rumours
Source: hoax-slayer.net – hoaxes