Fact Check: Did Howie Mandel pass away? Viral post debunked amid rising concern among netizens
Claims of Howie Mandel passing away have spread rapidly on Facebook. This comes after the death of former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, whom the former discussed in a to-be-released episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored. Despite the assumptions of his passing going viral online, it is worth noting that they are not true.
On October 26, Facebook user Brendan Jones took to the social networking site to share an image of Howie Mandel alongside the phrase “DIED TODAY.” The caption of the social media post read:
“Very sad. 20 minutes ago in Chicago, “America’s Got Talent,” Howie Mandel, he has been confirmed as…”
The social media post went viral within hours of uploading and had amassed over 1000 reactions and more than 400 comments.
As mentioned prior, the news of his passing is untrue. The social media account which originally shared the news of his passing has shared multiple fake reports of him dying repeatedly, so the account seemingly keeps posting fake news.
The America’s Got Talent judge is most certainly alive and has fallen victim to a celebrity death hoax.
Several internet users expressed outrage over the fake news and debunked the false claims by saying online:
The claims appeared online after Howie Mandel argued in the aforementioned YouTube podcast that talent shows like America’s Got Talent had psychologists who took care of the welfare of contestants.
This comes after former X Factor contestant and singer Liam Payne passed away on October 16 after falling off a Buenos Aires, Argentina, hotel balcony.
Meanwhile, other reactions read:
Evidently, internet users were exasperated by the fake news that was making the rounds online. Some other comments read:
Howie Mandel did not die
As several netizens took to social media to express that the 68 year old is alive, it is safe to say that the celebrity has fallen victim to an internet death hoax.
Furthermore, Mandel's Instagram account has been active, with his Instagram story reposting social media posts from other accounts.
It appears like Howie Mandel has fallen victim to internet death hoaxes like several other celebrities previously have. Most recently, X Factor judge Simon Cowell was rumored to have passed away through his association with Liam Payne.
It is important to verify such information through credible news outlets, as many spread misinformation for momentary online popularity.
This is not the first time Mandel was rumored to have passed away. In March, claims of the comedian-actor dying from an illness circulated online as well.
Meanwhile, fans of Mandel look forward to seeing him on Piers Morgan’s show, where he discusses competitive reality shows and how they manage the psychological health of contestants. Mandel said on Piers Morgan's show:
“If we feel that somebody is going south, there is somebody there to talk to them and we do watch over them.”
Mandel appeared on the show following the death of Liam Payne, who suffered from drug addiction prior to his passing. Payne revealed in interviews that the fame he attained after taking part in X Factor and subsequently becoming a pop star through One Direction resulted in him battling mental health struggles and substance abuse.