William Shatner is one of the most iconic and beloved actors in the history of science fiction and television. He is best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, as well as his roles in Boston Legal, T.J. Hooker, and The Twilight Zone. He is also a successful author, producer, director, singer, and philanthropist. But despite his long and illustrious career, he has also been the target of several death hoaxes over the years. Is William Shatner dead? The answer is no, and here is how he managed to survive and debunk the false rumors.
The First Death Hoax: 2018
The first death hoax that claimed William Shatner had died was in March 2018, coinciding with his 87th birthday. A Facebook page called “R.I.P. William Shatner” posted a message that said the actor had passed away and asked fans to show their sympathy and condolences. The page also included a photo of Shatner with the words “Rest in Peace” on it. The page had nearly one million likes and attracted hundreds of comments from grieving fans.
However, the page was fake and not affiliated with the actor or his official representatives. The page misspelled the actor’s name as “Shattner” and did not provide any source or evidence for the alleged death. Moreover, the page used a date format that is uncommon in the U.S., where the actor is based.
The death hoax was also spread by a YouTube video titled “Tragic End for a Legendary Actor: Remembering William Shatner | William Shatner died Car Accident”. The video claimed that the actor had died in a car accident and showed a montage of photos of him with nonsensical captions. The video did not cite any sources and had several grammatical and factual errors.
The death hoax was quickly debunked by the actor himself, who took to Twitter to confirm that he was alive and well. He also called out Facebook for allowing the fake page to pass their verification process and asked them to remove it. He tweeted:
“Hey @facebook isn’t this your messenger app? What’s up with you allowing this Acocet Retail Sales ad to pass your muster? Thought you were doing something about this?”
He also posted a screenshot of the fake page with the words “THIS IS A LIE” written over it in red. He added:
“I’m not planning on dying so please continue to block and report the fake pages that are popping up.”
He also thanked his fans for their concern and support and wished them a happy birthday. He tweeted:
“Thank you everyone for your concern but I am perfectly fine. I’m having a great day. I’m going to live long and prosper. Happy birthday to me!”
The Second Death Hoax: 2023
The second death hoax that claimed William Shatner had died was in March 2023, just a few days after his 92nd birthday. A Twitter account using the name “who died today” tweeted a link to a YouTube video that claimed the actor had died in a car accident. The tweet also included a fake screenshot of CNN’s “Reliable Sources” program on which the chyron read, “Actor William Shatner ‘Star Trek’ Died Today??”
The YouTube video was the same one that was used in the 2018 death hoax, with some minor changes. The video still claimed that the actor had died in a car accident and showed a montage of photos of him with nonsensical captions. The video still did not cite any sources and had several grammatical and factual errors.
The death hoax was again debunked by the actor himself, who took to Instagram to mock the rumor and reassure his fans that he was alive and well. He posted a screenshot of the fake tweet with the words “THIS IS A LIE” written over it in red. He also added a voice memo, in which he said:
“Hello, this is William Shatner. I’m not dead. I’m alive and kicking. I don’t know who started this rumor, but they should be ashamed of themselves. It’s not funny, it’s not clever, it’s not respectful. It’s hurtful to me and my family and my fans. Please stop spreading lies about me. I’m here, I’m healthy, I’m happy. Live long and prosper.”
He also received support and love from his fans and fellow celebrities in the comments section of his post. Actor George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in Star Trek, joked that he was glad that Shatner was still around to annoy him. Actor Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, said that he was relieved that Shatner was still alive and wished him a belated happy birthday. Singer and reality star Kelly Clarkson said that she loved Shatner and his sense of humor. Comic Kevin Hart said that he was a huge fan of Shatner and that he was glad that he was okay.
The Conclusion
William Shatner is not dead. He is alive and well, and still active in his career and personal life. The death hoaxes that claimed he had died were fake and malicious rumors that were spread on social media by unknown people. William Shatner debunked the hoaxes on his own social media accounts and warned the hoaxers to stop. He also received support and love from his fans and fellow celebrities. The death hoaxes were a reminder to be careful and critical of what we see and hear online, and to always check the facts before jumping to conclusions. William Shatner is still here, and we hope he will continue to entertain and inspire us for many more years to come.
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