Willie Nelson Is the Victim of a Death Hoax
Country legend Willie Nelson is the victim of a death hoax, which first circulated by false sources earlier this year but popped up again over the weekend.
According to an 'article' on the false news site MSMBC.com, the 81-year-old singer was found dead in his house in Hawaii on April 13 (the site populates the date of the day you are visiting it).
The article states: "A groundskeeper scheduled to perform yard maintenance on Nelson's property reportedly found the singer/songwriter unresponsive on the front lawn and immediately called 911. 'There was no evidence of drug abuse or alcohol and no signs of foul play,' said Det. Aldeson."
However, a disclaimer at the bottom of the article notes, "This story is still developing and not all information has been officially verified."
At first glance, MSMBC.com is of a similar makeup to the legitimate reporting site, MSNBC.com. But MSMBC is a fake news site, designed to look like the original site to confuse unsuspecting individuals.
A quick search will bring readers to Snopes.com — a website well-known for discerning between fake and fiction — which clarifies that the report is obviously false. "The fake MSMBC.co article is unfortunately fooling many readers as it makes the rounds of social media again, even though it's completely false and is just a recycled version of the very same prank the site released two months ago," a note on the website states. "No legitimate news outlet has reported on Nelson's death, which is not surprising since Nelson himself is actually alive and well and planning to invest in a chain of recreational pot stores in states where marijuana is now legal."
Nelson isn't the only singer to fall victim to a cruel-hearted death hoax. A few years back, Reba McEntire was the center of a death prank on another fake website. Although the report initially convinced many of her fans, it was soon proven to be false.
Although it's unfortunate that some individuals perpetuate cruel and malicious stories on the internet, the good news is that the talented Nelson is alive and well. In fact, he just announced the lineup for his 4th of July picnic this summer and the release of another studio album with Merle Haggard. Learn more about that record here.
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