British actor Rowan Atkinson, 58, is the latest victim of a sick hoax that alleges he is dead. When in fact, Atkinson is not dead, but anyone who was poking around on Facebook in the past few days may have been fooled into thinking the Mr. Bean comedian had met his demise by his own hand.
A viral death hoax circulated on the social media site claiming that the actor had died, with a link appearing to point to the BBC sharing a story that he died of a suicide. The story prompted many people to share their shock and offer condolences to Atkinson’s family. Others went online seeking clarification on the story.
The hoax claimed the actor had committed suicide, though did not offer many details about his death.The story is the latest in a long and growing line of death hoaxes focusing on famous actors and athletes. It’s become something of a sport on the internet for people to invent and share fake stories of celebrities meeting an early demise.
One claimed that actor Nicolas Cage died in a skiing accident, while another alleged Arnold Schwarzenegger died at his home.There are some repeat victims, with two or sometimes more death hoaxes going viral for certain celebrities. Actors Will Smith and Macaulay Culkin are often popular targets.There are actually several death hoaxes floating around centered around Atkinson. It’s apparently a very popular pastime for people to write fake news articles imagining that the Mr. Bean actor passed away—there are a few different variations of the story dating back over three years.
No need to worry, Atkinson is indeed alive and well.
