Twitter has once again killed Scott Baio. This is the second time this year the social networking site has gone crazy with rumors that the 48-year-old actor died in a jet ski accident.
The death hoax began as a prank from Global Associated News, which stated, “Actor Scott Baio died while on a personal vacation in Turks and Caicos early this morning from injuries sustained in a Jet-Ski accident – December 14, 2011. Preliminary reports from Turks and Caicos Police officials indicate that the actor struck a concrete boat slip in a marina on Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
The site has falsely killed off several other celebs in the past, including Tom Hanks, who fell to his death while filming in New Zealand; and Adam Sandler, Charlie Sheen, Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson, who all died in unrelated snowboarding accidents in Switzerland.
Atlanta-based Global Associated News owner, Rich Hoover, is unapologetic about the celebrity death hoaxes, claiming he does it for laughs (for those who find such things funny), and the celebs usually ignore the “news” of their death — or benefit from it.
“If you saw (Jeff) Goldblum on The Colbert Show, who had heard of him in the past six years? Suddenly he’s on Colbert grabbing headlines further pushing his name out in front and he used that as an opportunity to mention some of his projects,” says Hoover. “It’s free press,” he told E! News in an interview last year.
So, relax Scott Baio fans. He is NOT dead. And next time you get any celebrity death news via Twitter, you may want to check the source.
photo: FayesVision/WENN