Why is ‘Eminem dead’ trending?
WHEN "Eminem dead" began trending on social media, the internet was thrown into a frenzy, and not for the first time.
But fear not, Slim Shady lovers, the Love the Way You Lie rapper was revealed to be alive and well — the rumors are just another celebrity death hoax.
Why is 'Eminem dead' trending?
The latest "Eminem dead" hoax was started when someone changed his Wikipedia page to say that he died on December 10, 2023, in Madison, Wisconsin.
This meant that if you Googled the rapper's name, it gave that date as the time of his death, which then rapidly spread across social media platforms.
Fans of Marshall Mathers took to X, formerly Twitter, to vent their fury, with one writing: “WHOEVER EDITED EMINEM WIKI TO SAY HE DIED B**** I HOPE YOURE THE ONE WHO CROAKS.”
Another posted: “Whoever edited Eminem‘s wiki to say he died, f*** you. I nearly had a heart attack.”
Read More on Eminem
While a third said: “If Eminem died, I will need to be admitted into the psych ward. I’ve loved him for so long.”
Eminem's Wikipedia page has now had the false date of his death removed.
And this isn't the first time Eminem has been killed off through an online death hoax.
Previous rumors of the rapper's alleged death began circulating after a "R.I.P Eminem" Facebook page attracted nearly one million likes.
Most read in Celebrity
Those who read the "About" page were given a shockingly believable account of his demise.
"At about 11 a.m ET on Saturday (August 19, 2023), our beloved rapper Eminem passed away," the page read.
"Eminem was born on October 17, 1972, in Saint Joseph. He will be missed but not forgotten," it continued.
"Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page."
Hundreds of fans began paying tribute to the rapper, expressing their sadness that the icon was "dead."
However, while some believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report and pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network.
On Sunday, August 20, the rapper's reps officially confirmed that Eminem is not dead.
“He 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,” they said.
Again, in December 2022, rumors surrounding Eminem's supposed death also circulated on social media.
On X/Twitter, one user falsely stated: "Holy s**t eminem died."
The hashtag #Ripeminem was created by mistake and began trending on social media.
A second wrongfully tweeted: "eminem died at 50," while another user questioned: "why did I think eminem was dead?"
"My son told me Eminem died today and almost sent me into cardiac arrest. Damn kids…" tweeted an additional browser.
"Eminem dead" was quickly proven as a hoax as he continued to post about his restaurant Mom's Spaghetti on Instagram and Twitter.
Why was there a Slim Shady 'obituary'?
In the midst of Eminem's constant death hoaxes, on May 13, 2024, a three-paragraph obituary ran on The Detroit News.
The headline read: "Slim Shady Made Lasting Impressions," with a picture of Eminem wearing a hockey mask.
The obituary read: "A product of Detroit who began his career there as a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene of the mid to late 1990's, Shady first became a household name in 1999 with the debut of his playfully deranged single 'My Name Is,' which — along with its uniquely eye catching video — exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience.
"That audience was soon exposed to the extreme darkness of the muse/ rapper, as he led millions of music fans down a road that glorified a demonstrably nihilistic worldview.
"May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth."
Eminem released the obituary to advertise his comeback album, The Death of Slim Shady, which he first announced on April 25.
He created an interesting announcement for the album by making it look like a commercial for a true crime television show.
The album is scheduled to come out sometime in the summer of 2024.
What is the Eminem conspiracy theory?
There were previous instances where fake reports of Eminem's death went viral across the web.
One of the longest-running conspiracy theories about the rapper's passing suggests that the Eminem we see today is a clone of the original Marshall Mathers.
Theorists believe the star died in 2006 and that a sample of his DNA was taken by the Illuminati.
With this purported DNA sample, the supposed organization made a clone of the Real Slim Shady.
Sleuths support this theory by pointing out a few instances of the hitmaker "malfunctioning."
One thing they notice is the apparent difference in his jawline now compared to his jawline when he first became popular.
"Yeah I believe he is a clone, it doesn't even look like him anymore and his eyes are dead," tweeted one suspicious fan.
Another fan wrote: "Wouldn't be surprised if it were true. I know I do believe Eminem and Avril Lavigne died and were replaced with clones. Their music took a drastic turn along with their appearances."
Read More on The US Sun
Some pop music listeners believe not only has the Detroit-born rapper been cloned, but stars such as Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears are doppelgängers as well.
One fan speculated: "Yep I can agree that the theories of cloning are true, Britney Spears is cloned, Eminem is cloned, Miley Cyrus is cloned Justin Timberlake too."