Sylvester Stallone Punches Back at Death Rumors: ‘Alive and Well and Happy and Healthy’

Sylvester Stallone reassured fans he is alive and “punching” after reports claimed he died on Sunday.

For the second time in 18 months, social media users spread rumors of the Rocky actor’s death, this time announcing that he died following a secret battle with prostate cancer.

Stallone cleared up the rumors on Instagram Monday, begging fans not to believe the fake news.

“Please ignore this stupidity… Alive and well and happy and healthy… Still punching!” he wrote alongside a screenshot of a false in memoriam post.

The false report reads, “SO LONG CHAMP. Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone died early this morning after his battle with prostate cancer… The actor kept his illness a secret, but in the end he couldn’t beat it.”

To make the rumors appear more valid, the posts included candid photos of the 71-year-old looking weak and with significant hair loss, but they are likely pulled from a scene he has filmed.

The actor continued to reassure fans that he is alive and well, sharing a throwback photo from Rambo.

“Remember to always grab LIFE by the throat and do not let go until you succeed!!!” he wrote alongside the photo, emphasizing the word “life” for a bit of dramatic, ironic effect.

Before Stallone took to social media to denounce news of his death, his younger brother Frank Stallone posted a scathing rant on Twitter about the hurtful gossip.

“Rumors that my brother is dead are false,” the 67-year-old tweeted Monday. “What kind of sick demented cruel mind things of things like this to post? People like this are mentally deranged and don’t deserve a place in society.”

This isn’t the first time that Stallone has been declared dead by social media, nor is it the first time that his fans have fallen victim to the hoax.

The ruse first surfaced in September 2016 when Facebook users reported seeing fraudulent messages claiming that Stallone had been found dead in his Los Angeles home. It was later exposed as a hoax after it was discovered that the messages were linked to a website notorious for creating celebrity death shams.