Why Dick Van Dyke Fans Feared the Worst on Sunday

When a celebrity trends on Twitter, it usually means one of three things: they’ve been canceled, they’ve died, or fans are celebrating how awesome they are. On Sunday afternoon, The Washington Post tweeted out an article about legendary actor Dick Van Dyke‘s post-pandemic plans for his career ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors. In the article, Van Dyke’s friends and former castmates gush about his infectious personality and boundless talent. Van Dyke even talks about his plans for a one-man show. “I’ve got an hour and a half put together like a one-man show,” he explained. “Gregory Peck went out and did it and Cary Grant did it. Just sit in a chair to have a little footage to show and talk about their lives. I’ve got so much material.”

However, The Washington Post‘s tweet began “At 95, Dick Van Dyke…,” causing many to panic and assume that the beloved Mary Poppins actor had died. Van Dyke ended up trending, with fans worldwide letting out a collective sigh of relief that the actor was still alive and even planning his next act.

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“The Washington Post just sent a push notification that started with ‘At 95, Dick Van Dyke…’ and I was like not today. And it was about how he wants to keep performing and there needs to be a rule that all headlines about beloved celebrities over 75 start with NOT AN OBIT,” wrote one Twitter user.

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“I saw his name in the side column and was like HE BETTER STILL BE ALIVE I DON’T CARE HOW OLD HE IS,” wrote another panicked then relieved fan.

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“I saw he was trending and my heart dropped. I need people to add context when they say Dick Van Dyke or Betty White,” another fan pointed out.

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“l was like ‘not OK WaPo, with all the things l am worried about right now l do not need my blood pressure raised over Dick Van Dyke first thing in the morning!’” quipped another Twitter user.

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“Twitter, you can’t just put ‘Dick Van Dyke’ in trending topics and NOT expect me to have a heart attack! At least have a parenthetical, “he’s fine.” Jfc,” tweeted another fan.

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Ultimately, Twitter proved today that Dick Van Dyke is indeed an international treasure. Not many people can say they are that universally beloved at 95.