News of actress/comedienne Maya Rudolph’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actress best known for appearing for years on Saturday Night Live and her roles in Friends with Kids, Bridesmaids or Grown Ups is alive and well.
Rumours of the actress’s alleged demise gained traction on Monday after a ‘R.I.P. Maya Rudolph’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given this believable account of the American actress’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (March 02, 2015), our beloved actress Maya Rudolph passed away. Maya Rudolph was born on July 27, 1972 in Gainesville. She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 42-year-old actress, comedienne and singer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Whereas some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately sceptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actress of Maya Rudolph’s stature would be major news across US networks.
A recent poll conducted for the Celebrity Post shows that a large majority (71%) of respondents think those Maya Rudolph death rumours are not funny anymore.
On Tuesday (March 3) the actress’s reps officially confirmed that she is not dead. “She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet,” they said.
Some fans have expressed anger at the fake report saying it was reckless, distressing and hurtful to fans of the much loved actress. Others say this shows her extreme popularity across the globe.
Maya Rudolph is the daughter of the late coloratura soprano soul singer Minnie Riperton and her husband – writer/producer Richard Rudolph. Riperton’s best known hit, Loving You, recorded when her daughter, who was present at the session, was a year old, ends with the singer plaintively repeating “Maya, Maya . . . Maya, Maya.” According to Richard Rudolph, who co-wrote the track with Riperton, the melody was created as a distraction for the baby Maya.
