Al Pacino: Death Hoax
Introduction
On May 10, 2015, Newswatch28 (now Newswatch33) claimed that actor Al Pacino had passed away in his home in Montecito, California. Although the article does not seem to be available anymore, unconfirmed sources at the time, along with fake tweets created by Newswatch, made the accusation seem credible at the time. A tweet from Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer Andy Neiman stated, “Actor Al Pacino found dead in his California residence”, along with a tweet from @AM17Official on Twitter asking, “Al Pacino’s dead?!”. Although a tweet from an official LAPD officer and a credible source, along with a statement from Detective Ronnie Cullingham of the California Police Department, one would be tricked into believing this information as true. Actor and celebrity death hoaxes are a new trend, and after further investigation, the so-called death of Al Pacino is proven false.
Further Research
A Snopes.com article (published in May 2015) and a MediaMass page (updated March 29, 2023) both denied rumors of the beloved Scarface actor’s passing. Just by using Google’s search engine and typing the words, “Al Pacino dead”, I quickly found multiple sources denying these hoaxes and shutting down false rumors. Although the rumor first appeared in 2015, since then, multiple fake claims have spread to the public with the actor’s so-called “tragic death”, garnering mass attention.
Earlier this week, MediaMass.net denied rumors of Al Pacino’s untimely passing, almost eight years after the Newswatch article was published at the time. MediaMass author Jessica Simpson states, “However the March 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Scarface or The Godfather is alive and well.” In the era of social media, when it comes to news (especially tragic), we tend to jump ship and believe things instantly. And with such a reputable and well-known actor as Pacino, many fans around the world would surely be devastated at first sight of headlines.
From information gathered by MediaMass, a Facebook page pushing the agenda of Pacino’s death got almost one million likes after users read the following text on the “About” page: “At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (March 27, 2023), our beloved actor Al Pacino passed away. Al Pacino was born on April 25, 1940 in Manhattan. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.” Though most fans sent their heartbroken messages to the coveted actor, skeptic users could see clearly through the hoax, as news this big of such a long-time actor would be covered by major news corporations in the United States.
According to MediaMass, reps for Al Pacino said in a statement on March 28, ““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.”
A recent The Celebrity Post poll showed that many participants find the rumors “stupid and boring”, with 71% (848 respondents) in agreement. 29% (354 respondents) find the rumors funny.
Celebrity hoaxes prey on the idea of getting the public to believe disinformation. Between circulating rumors on media sites and article links spreading like wildfire, fact-checking is important. Before we believe anything, complete a Google search and/or find reputable sources to see if the claim being made is true or false.
Sources
Mikkelson, David. “Actor Al Pacino Found Dead at Age 75.” Snopes, Snopes.com, 11 May 2015, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/al-pacino-death-hoax/.
Simspon, Jessica. “Al Pacino Dead 2023 : Actor Killed by Celebrity Death Hoax.” Mediamass, https://en.mediamass.net/people/al-pacino/deathhoax.html.
Washington. “Al Pacino Is Dead — Rumors Not Funny Anymore for 71% of Voters — the Celebrity Post.” Mediamass, https://en.cpost.org/poll/al-pacino/deathhoax.html.