Adam Sandler Dead? Internet Death Hoax Claims The Life Of Actor, The Second Time In Seven Months He’s ‘Died’

Is Adam Sandler really dead — again?

This weekend a hoax report circulated claiming that the actor and comedian was found dead in his home, the victim of an apparent suicide. The story came from a site called Linkbeef, which claimed that Marin County Police found Adam Sandler’s body inside his home.

The report seemed to mix up real reports from the death of comedian Robin Williams, using the British style of spelling and punctuation with a hefty dose of errors.

“Sandler had recently returned to a rehabilitation centre to ‘fine-tune’ his sobriety, the Los Angeles Times reported in July.

“The local Sheriff’s office said Sandler was found unconscious and not breathing at his home near Tiburon, north of San Francisco.

“‘At this time, the Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made,’ police said in a statement.”

The report even went one step further, containing a fake quote from Sandler’s wife claiming that she was “heartbroken” and asking for privacy.

“This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken,” the outlet said in a quote attributed to Sandler’s wife.

“On behalf of Adam’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Adam’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.”

It was the same site — and same exact story — that went viral back in September. That story spread quickly on social media, and ended up being picked by a number of news outlets.

The story of Adam Sandler’s alleged death doesn’t appear to be getting as much traction in the news this time compared to September. While the story is going viral on social media, it’s not going very far beyond that. In September, news outlets from across the globe reported on the story of Sandler’s death, with many analyzing the possible motives of the site that spread it and studying how it reached so far while seeming so unbelievable.

There is one possible explanation for why the Adam Sandler death hoax is picking up steam again. Netflix just released a trailer for his new comedy project, The Do-Over, in which he and David Spade fake their own deaths to start a new life. A red-band trailer was released late this week to fairly good reviews, a change of pace from the recent string of poorly-rated movies from Sandler.

The full trailer can be seen here (but be warned that it has some very adult content).

Unlike last September, most fans seemed unfazed and unfooled by the death hoax. Some even took the opportunity to make jokes at Sandler’s expense.

Adam Sandler's dead! Finally 2016 gets something right.

— Simon Love (@simonloverules) April 23, 2016

R.i.p. Adam Sandler, he isn't deceased yet but he's been emotionally dead for years.

— Kale (@Kale_Nevel) April 23, 2016

Adam Sandler is just one of many celebrities to be targeted by a death hoax. In recent years a number of others have fallen victim, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant. He is also not the only repeat victim — other actors, including Will Smith and Macaulay Culkin — have also been hit a number of times.

[Picture by Grant Lamos IV/Getty Images]