Tom Cruise Accident Rumors Spread, Actor Is Latest Victim Of Celebrity Death Hoax
Tom Cruise has not been involved in a fatal accident despite some reports claiming the 50-year-old actor was killed in a crash Thursday.
Yes, folks, it seems Cruise is the latest victim of a celebrity death hoax. The actor was first pronounced dead by Australian TV station 9 News, which reported that the star had died in a car accident in Queensland, Australia.
As it happens, Cruise is still very much alive. 9 News quickly pulled its erroneous report but not before somebody at MSN News screencapped it for posterity; you can see it yourself below.
The original article said the Tom Cruise accident occurred while the star was on vacation in Australia. The report claimed the actor died at 5.30 am on Thursday morning, only for Cruise to show up at an L.A. premiere for his new flick Oblivion around 12 hours later. Oops.
The report also claimed Cruise had to be identified by photo ID found at the scene of the accident. The Royal Queensland Police allegedly provided confirmation of this.
Plenty of people were sucked in — the term “Tom Cruise accident” is trending as we write — but it seems 9 News was pulling our leg all along. At the bottom of the story, a subtly hidden message read:
“FAKE… THIS STORY IS 100% FAKE! this is an entertainment website, and this is a totally fake article based on zero truth and is a complete work of fiction for entertainment purposes!”
This isn’t the first time Cruise has experienced online death: In 2010, the actor died no less than three times. All deaths occurred in New Zealand and were attributed at the time to a car crash, to Cruise falling off a cliff, and to the actor perishing in a plumbing accident.
[Top image via Shutterstock.com]
