2023 has been unofficially given the nickname of ‘the bad year’ (like every year is) because of the unexpected breakups, divorces, and deaths happening.
But while we were busy discussing Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift’s breakup or Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s divorce, something else was happening.
Some people were busy spreading fake news about celebrities dying, and the latest target was Mark Ruffalo. This has made his fans anxious to know if the information is factual.
No, Mark Ruffalo isn’t dead. The rumor about his death was spread by a Facebook fan page that doesn’t exist anymore. It said, “At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (November 11, 2023), our beloved actor Mark Ruffalo passed away.” The rumor has been debunked.
Did Mark Ruffalo Really Die?
“Mark Ruffalo RIP” or just “Mark Ruffalo” is trending online, and it gave fans of the Marvel celeb a heart attack because many thought that he had tragically passed away.
The rumor began on Facebook after a Mark Ruffalo fan page wrote in their About section (via Media Mass):
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (November 11, 2023), our beloved actor Mark Ruffalo passed away. Mark Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967 in Kenosha. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
People apparently liked the post about a million times.
Many people’s knee-jerk reaction was to express sorrow and grief upon hearing the news. After all, Ruffalo is a respected and beloved actor for memorable roles like the Hulk in the MCU, Dylan Rhodes in Now You See Me (2013), Chuck Aule in Shutter Island (2010), etc.
So, is the news accurate?
No, Mark Ruffalo isn’t dead. He is trending because of a hoax post that many people bought into. However, the Facebook fan page or the text doesn’t exist anymore.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Mark has been the target of viral death hoaxes. A few years ago, in 2014, there was another rumor about his death. That was debunked, too.
Ruffalo seems to be a favorite target for fake death campaigns to farm likes. This is probably because of his long battle with depression. In an interview with the Observer, the actor said:
“It’s dysthymia. It’s a long-running, low-grade depression all the time. I’ve been struggling with that my whole life. It’s just is running all the time in the background.”
Apart from this, the star has been open about undergoing surgery for an acoustic neuroma that left him with hearing loss in his left ear. Also, one side of his face was paralyzed. He only regained his health with intense therapy, acupuncture, and medication.
In a February 27, 2011, interview with The Telegraph, he said
“I was like that for about ten months, and the likelihood of it ever getting better looked pretty remote. The chances of the nerves returning diminished each month, and month seven was the cut-off point. But finally, the paralysis did start to go. In all, I disappeared for a year.”
During this challenging phase of his life, he almost disappeared from public view to heal himself, and many wondered what had happened to him. Ruffalo commented:
“There were all kinds of rumours about what had happened to me – drugs, alcoholism, Aids.”
But despite this, he came back stronger to have a fulfilling career.
As for the hoax news about his death, unfortunately, in this era of mass misinformation, it’s going to get more and more challenging to weed out fake news. AI is rapidly evolving, and it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction.
What do you think of the mass hoax celebrity death campaigns going on? What do you think should be done to stop it? Can it be stopped in any way?
Let us know if you have any solutions in the comments below.
Source: Media Mass, Telegraph, and Observer
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