Adam Sandler fans panicked this week when a falserumor that the comedian had died resurfaced online. The rumor – or perhaps intentional hoax – has been going around since at least November in various forms, but it just resurfaced and rose to prominence again. Thankfully, 55-year-old Sandler is still alive and well.
It is not clear where rumors of Sandler’s death first started, but they go back at least to a TikTok video that went viral in November. The somber clip claimed that Sandler had drowned, presenting it as breaking news that some viewers found believable. The original poster later commented that this was just a “sick joke,” but others are still re-posting the video to this day to frighten people across all platforms.
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In general, comments do not seem to find this bit funny. Many have condemned the video’s creator, the re-posters and anyone else who has promoted the rumor about Sandler. In reality, the actor seems to be healthy and whole with social media posts as recent as this weekend. Here’s a look at how these rumors spread and how Sandler’s legions of fans reacted to them.
Presentation
The Sandler death hoax was presented in all manner of different ways and was, in some cases, briefly convincing. Users were forced to present evidence to the contrary to reassure each other.
Outrage
After that, fans’ shock turned to outrage in many cases, aimed at anyone who propagated this hoax.
Just Ask
Some fans skipped the research and guessing game and went straight to the source, tagging Sandler in the inflammatory videos or asking him if he was alright directly. He does not seem to have responded to any of these queries.
Bob Saget
The fact that this hoax came so soon after the real-life death of Bob Saget had fans all the more high-strung.
Protect
Realizing how devastated they would be to lose Sandler, many fans made hyperbolic calls for him to be protected from harm as much as possible.
Jump to Conclusions
In fairness, celebrity death hoaxes have become relatively easy to pull off since users often jump to conclusions when they see a celebrity’s name on the trending topic list.
New Photo
Finally, some fans thought that this was a confluence of bad omens for Sandler, as this week Outlander Magazine published a new photo series by Kevin Wong that included a somber portrait of Sandler. Once again, all indications say that Sandler is healthy and alive.
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