Did Steve Harvey Pass Away? The Truth Behind the Viral Death Hoax

May 2024 · 6 minute read

Introduction

Steve Harvey, the popular comedian and TV host, has been the target of several death hoaxes in the past few years. The latest one, which circulated on social media in March 2023, claimed that he had died at home at the age of 66. However, this was nothing but a cruel and false rumor, as Harvey himself confirmed on his Instagram account. In this article, we will explore the origin and motive of this death hoax, and how Harvey and his fans reacted to it.

The Misleading YouTube Video

The death hoax started with a misleading YouTube video posted by a channel called Actor Disappeared, which has a history of spreading false information about celebrities. The video, which had the title “1 hour ago, American TV icon Steve Harvey suddenly died at home at the age of 66”, showed a picture of Harvey with a caption that read “R.I.P. Steve Harvey 1957-2023”. The video had no audio or other details, and was clearly designed to trick viewers into believing that Harvey had passed away.

The video quickly gained thousands of views and comments, some of which expressed shock and sadness, while others questioned the validity of the claim. Some users also pointed out that the video was uploaded on February 29, 2023, a date that does not exist in the Gregorian calendar. This was a clear indication that the video was a hoax, as the channel had used a similar tactic before to spread false news about other celebrities, such as Liam Neeson and Richard Gere.

The Fake Facebook Page

The YouTube video was not the only source of the death hoax, as a fake Facebook page with the title “R.I.P. Steve Harvey” also emerged around the same time. The page, which had over one million likes, posted a message that read:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Sunday (March 05, 2023), our beloved actor Steve Harvey passed away. Steve Harvey was born on January 17, 1957 in Welch. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

The page also shared the YouTube video and other posts related to Harvey’s alleged death. However, the page was not affiliated with Harvey or his official fan page, and was likely created by someone who wanted to exploit his popularity and generate traffic. The page also violated Facebook’s community standards, which prohibit impersonating others or creating fake accounts.

The Satirical Website

Another source of the death hoax was a satirical website called MediaMass, which publishes fake news and rumors about celebrities. The website posted an article with the headline “News of actor Steve Harvey’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. 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.”

The article also displayed a date that matched the current date, regardless of when the user accessed the page. This was a clever trick to make the article seem more credible and timely. However, the article also had a link that read “read more”, which led to a disclaimer page that explained the website’s purpose and nature. The disclaimer stated:

“The website mediamass.net is the medium of our satire to expose with humor, exaggeration and ridicule the contemporary mass production and mass consumption that we observe. Also it will not only mock the truth but also tell it as it is.”

The website also had articles about other celebrities who had really died, such as Raquel Welch, as well as articles about celebrities who were still alive, such as Tim Curry. The website’s content was clearly meant to be humorous and not taken seriously, but some users may have been confused or misled by its appearance and tone.

Steve Harvey’s Response

Steve Harvey, who was unaware of the death hoax until his fans alerted him, took to his Instagram account to set the record straight and assure his followers that he was alive and well. He posted a video of himself with the caption:

“Getting talked about don’t faze me. Look at the people who talking \uD83D\uDCAF”

In the video, he said:

“Hey, what’s up everybody? Listen, I’m fine. I’m good. I’m not dead. I’m alive. I’m well. I’m healthy. I’m happy. I’m blessed. I’m loved. I’m rich. I’m successful. I’m good. Don’t believe everything you hear on the internet, man. I’m good. I love y’all. Peace.”

He also thanked his fans for their support and prayers, and joked that he was glad that he was still relevant enough to be the subject of a death hoax. He also expressed his frustration with the people who spread false and malicious rumors about him and other celebrities, and urged them to stop wasting their time and energy on such negativity.

Fans’ Reactions

Many of Harvey’s fans were relieved and happy to see that he was alive and well, and expressed their love and admiration for him in the comments section of his Instagram post. Some of them also criticized the people who created and shared the death hoax, and called them out for being disrespectful and insensitive. Some of the comments were:

Conclusion

Steve Harvey is one of the most successful and beloved celebrities in the entertainment industry, and has a loyal fan base that spans across generations and cultures. He is also a philanthropist and a motivational speaker, who uses his platform to inspire and empower others. He is not dead, and he is not going anywhere anytime soon. The death hoax that circulated on social media in March 2023 was a baseless and malicious rumor, that was debunked by Harvey himself and by various fact-checking sources. The death hoax was likely motivated by envy, greed, or boredom, and had no basis in reality. Steve Harvey is alive, well, and still making us laugh and smile.

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