A fake Twitter account cropped up yesterday with the username @arethafranklinn, announcing that the famous soul singer had passed away. For a few hours, the Internet was fooled by the hoax, and people went wild.
It Is With Sad News That We Announce The Passing Of The Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin
— Aretha Franklin (@ArethaFrankIinn) November 21, 2017
1942-2017#RipArethaFranklin #ArethaFranklin pic.twitter.com/LPH571dlix
The account looked very real, though it was unverified. Fans took it at face value, and got to work mourning and eulogizing Franklin. When they realized they were being trolled, they were not happy.
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#TuesdayThoughts Y’all better stop spreading awful and unconfirmed rumors about Aretha Franklin! pic.twitter.com/41w0M64PRq
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) November 21, 2017
If you lie about Aretha Franklin, your macaroni will always taste like it came out of a box. pic.twitter.com/N7PzfV91Bl
— Gobbles 🦃 (@realfacade1) November 21, 2017
The record was officially set straight by Shauna Robinson, who spoke with Franklin’s family directly.
Good Morning, Everyone. I just spoke to one of Ms. Franklin’s family friends in my hometown Detroit. They spoke to Aretha moments ago and asked me to tell you please don’t believe this news that was trending. Have a good day. https://t.co/3LTyD4UlEH
— Shaun Robinson (@shaunrobinson) November 21, 2017
Franklin has faced rumors of poor health, and even death before. There was a long-standing story that she was suffering from pancreatic cancer, which she had to squash in an interview with Access Hollywood.
Earlier this year, Franklin announced her official retirement. That may be why the timing was ripe for more false gossip.
The fake Aretha Franklin Twitter account remains up for now. Hopefully fans and followers are weary enough to see through any future hoaxes.
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