Boy George Dead? Social Media Mix-Up Causes Frenzy Following Tragic Death Of George Michael
Is Boy George dead? This phrase is being searched by thousands of people today as social media caused quite a mix-up following the death of legendary singer George Michael. Only the latter has passed away.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, George Michael died in his sleep on Christmas Day due to heart failure. Ever since the news broke, people all over the world have been posting their condolences and heartfelt messages on social media. However, some people have been confusing George Michael with Boy George, causing quite a bit of confusion in the process.
Some folks on Twitter are wondering exactly which “George” died on December 25.
Boy George isn’t dead, but the world has been forced to say goodbye to another superstar. George Michael was just 53-years-old, losing his life far too young.
Boy George posted a message on Twitter after hearing the news — this message should have cleared up any confusion for social media users who had been tweeting things like “RIP Boy George” over the past 24 hours.
“I am thinking of @GeorgeMichael’s family, friends and fans right now. He was so loved and I hope he knew it because the sadness today is beyond words. Devastating. What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent. I can’t believe he is gone. I hope the Buddha will hold him in his arms. NMRK,” Boy George tweeted.
Boy George dead rumors have started to circulate as more people have been hashtagging his name instead of George Michael’s. Things evidently got even more complicated when actress Sarah Michelle Gellar sent out a tweet remembering the wrong George.
“Do you really want to hurt me? I guess you do 2016 – #ripboygeorge. I was truly one of your biggest fans,” she wrote, according to the Heavy.
The tweet has since been deleted, and the actress posted the following tweets to clear things up.
Just as sad when you get the correct information- #ripGeorgeMichael thank you to everyone who corrected me- it's still so sad
— Sarah Michelle (@SarahMGellar) December 25, 2016
And for the record yes I completely know the difference between Boy George and George Michael- I heard incorrectly. My intentions were good
— Sarah Michelle (@SarahMGellar) December 26, 2016
This is usually why I don't comment on public matters, but it all seemed so sad on Christmas. Lesson learned.
— Sarah Michelle (@SarahMGellar) December 26, 2016
Boy George and George Michael are easy to confuse for a number of reasons. For starters, both have “George” in their stage names (George Michael’s birth name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou and Boy George’s birth name is George Alan O’Dowd). Both men were around the same age (George Michael was 53, Boy George is 55), both are British, and both men are openly gay, known for their LGBTQ advocacy. Of course, both men are singers and music icons of the 1980s.
They have collaborated in the past, however.
“The two icons…were rumored to have feuded over the years but seemingly reconciled. Both performed on ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas,’ a track written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and performed in 1984 along with many other stars of the day for Band Aid, a concert raising funds to help the famine in Ethiopia,” Entertainment Tonight reports.
News that George Michael is dead shocked Boy George just as much as it shocked most of the world. Thousands of people have tweeted their condolences, many simply heartbroken to hear about this tragic news. Since word of George Michael’s passing broke, fans have been leaving flowers, candles, and hand-written notes outside his home in England. His music has been downloaded and streamed quite a bit today on apps like iTunes and Spotify. Several of his hit songs have cracked the top 100 most popular songs.
George Michael will be remembered for many years to come and his music will continue to live on. His family and close friends have asked for privacy during this extremely difficult time.
[Featured Image by Gustavo Caballero/Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]
