It was a scary and confusing weekend for Eminem fans, who saw their favorite rapper targeted by a bizarre death hoax online. Social media users noticed on Saturday that Marshall Mathers’ death date had been added to his Google results, but it was listed as Sunday – following day. For some, it was a threat as much as anything else.
A screenshot posted online shows the “overview” at the top of the Google results with a prominent death date listed – Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. The user who posted it on Saturday wrote: “WHY IS EMINEM DEAD TOMORROW WHAT THE F-.” The tweet went viral with others wondering how this happened. It’s not uncommon for a celebrity death rumor to get out of hand online, but it is rare for a death date to be decided in advance. Some wondered if it was written there as an obscure threat to the rapper for some reason.
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Fortunately, many outlets have now confirmed that Eminem is alright and is not in any danger. His death date was changed on Wikipedia, which is the source for the Google overview. Here’s a look at how the internet at large reacted to this odd mistake.
Outrage
The overwhelming response to this prank was anger from fans, many of whom reported their visceral reactions before they realized the news was fake.
Surprise
As shocked as fans were, many wondered how Mathers himself must feel after this whirlwind of events.
Conspiracy Theories
Some users wondered if there could have been a plan to assassinate Mathers.
Hyperbole
For some fans, Eminem dying a day in the future read like one of the hyperbolic boasts in his lyrics.
Unbelievable
Many fans said they didn’t believe this hoax for a second.
Unreliable
Others wondered why Google was allowed to source information from Wikipedia for prominent features like this – especially since Wikipedia is independently operated on low margins while Google is extremely profitable.
Future Victims
Finally, some fans speculated that this stunt would get more celebrities in the future, and they were right. The very next day, a similar hoax hit rapper Bia.
