Did Clint Eastwood pass away today? No, Clint Eastwood isn’t dead, it’s another death hoax online.
In fact, it’s another hoax to hit the internet within two years after the legendary actor and director was falsely reported as dead. It’s the latest in a longtime trend of people making up celebrity deaths online, which end up going viral to spread false information.
Clint Eastwood death hoax goes viral
A number of false reports spread around the internet suggesting actor Clint Eastwood had passed away. One of them featured a video or a photo of Eastwood with a candle and the years 1930-2019 along with “CNN” on it. According to Snopes, it was indicating that Eastwood died of a heart attack while filming a commercial in August. That’s not true, though.
Still, it led to people believing the reports were true and posting RIP or remembrance posts to social media. Phrases like “Clint Eastwood dead” and “Clint Eastwood died” became popular on the Twitter platform.
Other people saw those posts and bought into the hoax. However, there were other individuals who wisely questioned whether the Clint Eastwood death reports were accurate. Luckily, they posted their own reminders on social media that the star actor from classic roles is still alive.
If you see a headline saying the iconic #ClintEastwood is dead have no fear, it’s s hoax. pic.twitter.com/FKNokLES7k
— COMEDIAN JEDIDIAH JAMES (@NotWhiteFamous) September 4, 2019
Radio host and personality Greg Brady tweeted out that he’d actually talked to Clint recently. Brady confirmed that in fact, Eastwood is still alive and well.
I just spoke to Clint Eastwood. He’s fine and in good spirits.
— Greg Brady (@gregbradyTO) September 4, 2019
This happened to Clint Eastwood two years ago. It’s also happened to other celebrities with everyone from Eminem to WWE’s John Cena to actor Sylvester Stallone falsely reported as dead online.
There are individuals reporting these death hoaxes to bring attention to fake websites. Mostly, these are done to create a viral story and grab viewers’ attention to reap the rewards of the resulting site traffic.
Back in May of 2017, a report surfaced from a website called US Leader saying Eastwood was found dead in his Brentwood, California home. However, Snopes said there was no confirmation of Eastwood even owning a home there.
What’s the latest with Clint Eastwood?
Clint Eastwood just turned 89-years-old this past May and is still busy. Late last month, Hollywood Reporter gave details on the 90-home development project that Eastwood is working on. It’s located at Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Central Coast of California. The concept is to “protect the region’s wildlife and natural beauty” within the community.
He’s also still making films. In 2018, viewers saw several movies hit the big screen with Eastwood’s backing as a director and producer including The 15:17 to Paris and The Mule. He had a starring role in the latter of these movies as Earl Stone.
Clint has a new film on the way called Richard Jewell with a to-be-announced release date. This one will tell the story of the man initially considered a suspect for the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta, Georgia. It will feature a star cast including Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Olivia Wilde, and Jon Hamm.
It doesn’t appear that Eastwood is going to star in this one but will act as a director. Interestingly, he’s not credited as a producer, but fellow actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill are on a group list as part of the production team.