Did Ruben Studdard pass away? Netizens react as Mandela Effect comes to the fore in viral TikTok
Singer and actor Ruben Studdard, best known for winning the second season of American Idol, recently began trending. This came in the wake of a TikTok user @himynamescattt sharing how she thought that the Soulful crooner had passed away but then realized it may have been the Mandela Effect.
In the November 23 TikTok video, she explained how she came upon Ruben Studdard’s interview promoting his newest EP, My Favorite Holiday, which made her figure out that she was misinformed.
“Like am I bugging or… I thought he passed away. I swear, I could have sworn he passed away. This ain’t no? It might be the Mandela Effect. I don’t know. I could have sworn this man passed away,” the TikToker shared in the 17-second clip.
While Ruben Studdard did not pass away and is currently promoting his latest project, it has indeed turned out to be the Mandela Effect as the TikTok post claims.
For the unversed, the Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where people collectively misremember events, historical facts, pop culture references, and more.
In the wake of this now-viral video, other netizens also joined the conversation and shared how they had a similar misconception. Here are some of them from Facebook.
“How is Ruben Studdard dropping music and doing shows now when we all witnessed him passing away… it’s some weird shii going on. Some people say he never passed but the timeline I’m on he definitely DID pass away!! It was all over the news. #mandelaeffect #RubbenStuddard #AmericanIdol."
“I remember Ruben Studdard passed away from a heart attack years ago. I know wtf I remember,” a person wrote.
“So, all this time this man has been alive? I knooooooow it was said he passed away after 2004, I know I'm not tripping!! Did y'all hear this as well?? #RubenStuddard,” one person wrote.
Others continued to weigh in.
Understanding the Mandela Effect surrounding Ruben Studdard
On 2010 Thanksgiving Day, the claim that Ruben Studdard had reportedly passed away circulated online. However, on Black Friday (November 26) of that year, he confirmed on X that he was “alive” adding:
“I hate stupid rumors.”
Later, in May 2016, a similar hoax emerged around the time when Ruben’s American Idol co-finalist Rickey Smith died in a car crash in Oklahoma. At the time, Studdard shared a tribute for his fellow participant.
However, rumors that he passed away continued to spread, as has happened a few more times over the last few years.
Thus, it turned into the Mandela Effect which is a term coined by online paranormal researcher Fiona Broome in 2009 to refer to “a false memory shared widely by a large group of people.”
She explained that she had a false memory that former South African President and activist Nelson Mandela passed away in prison in the 1980s. However, in reality, Mandela died in December 2013 long after he was out of prison.
Some of the common examples of the Mandela Effect include the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back dialogue by Darth Vader “No, I am your father,” which fans falsely remember as, “Luke, I am your father.” Looney Tunes is often misremembered as “Looney Toons.
People also recall Kit-Kat without the hyphen and Oscar Mayer as Oscar Meyer.
In brief, the life and career of Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard is an American singer and actor. He was born and raised in Frankfurt, West Germany in September 1978, but later moved to his native place in Birmingham, Alabama.
Besides winning season 2 of American Idol in May 2003 defeating Clay Aiken, he is also remembered for earning a Grammy nominee in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. Studdard received the 2004 nomination for his rendition of the famous 1969 Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell’s song, Superstar.
Over the years, Ruben has released seven studio albums including the platinum-charting debut Soulful and the gospel album, I Need An Angel. Some of his notable singles are Flying Without Wings, Sorry 2004, and Change Me, among others. The 46-year-old has also played in the jazz group, Just a Few Cats.
The artist also acted in the musical, Ain’t Misbehavin’ in the role of Fats Waller alongside the movies One on One (2004), Eve (2006), and Lifted (2011) in supporting roles.
Ruben Studdard tied the knot with Surata Zuri McCants in June 2008 and later divorced in 2012. In June 2018, he married Kristin Moore and the couple has two kids, a son (born in 2020) and a daughter (born in 2024).
In March 2003, the-then Alabama Governor Bob Riley named March 11, 2003, as Ruben Studdard Day in honor of his American Idol victory.