Fact Check: Where Did the ‘Did Shaquille O’Neal Pass Away’ Hoax Stem from? Debunking the Rumor. tt

The dreadful question ‘Did Shaquille O’Neal Pass Away?’ is currently trending on the Internet. Recent viral rumors about the four-time NBA Champion’s death have become a major cause of concern for millions of fans around the world. However, the reports of Shaq’s passing can be confirmed to be a hoax.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend is alive and in perfectly good health. In fact, the 51-year-old just appeared on live TV during TNT’s post-game broadcast merely hours ago. But how did the rumors start?

The Facts of the Matter

Viral rumors about the death of celebrities are nothing new. Shaq has been the victim of such instances in the past as well. According to recent reports, fans were initially swayed by the existence of a Facebook account named ‘R.I.P. Shaquille O’Neal’, which reportedly claimed in its ‘About’ section, “At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (January 22, 2024), our beloved basketball player Shaquille O’Neal passed away. Shaquille O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972 in Newark. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

The page swiftly garnered a lot of likes and started gaining traction on the Internet. However, no major publications and media houses reporting on the incident made a lot of people doubt the rumors. Subsequently, Shaq’s team reportedly confirmed the reports to be a hoax, “He [Shaq] joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.”

Meanwhile, a picture of the Diesel lying with his eyes closed on the hospital bed further added to the confusion. However, the hospital image is from Shaq’s hip replacement surgery last year. The big man completely recovered from the surgery months ago and has been quite active since then.

Reasons for the Hoax

Perhaps, the biggest reason that generated the hoax was a Necropedia post from over a decade ago. Necropedia is a parody site that posts ‘Anticipated obituaries’ as a joke. They quite clearly claim that, “An anticipated obituary is, by definition, an obituary written BEFORE the death of a person. It is by no means a death announcement nor an anticipation of death.”

However, a post from over a decade ago on the site had predicted Shaq’s passing on January 25, 2024. “Shaquille O’Neal, born on March 6, 1972 in Newark, was an American basketball player. He died on January 25, 2024 at the age of 51,” the fake obituary read.

This ‘anticipated obituary’ probably caught fire after the real date arrived and caused the entire fiasco. However, the whole thing can now be put to bed as a hoax.