Selena Gomez, the pop star and actress, has been the subject of several death hoaxes and rumors that have circulated on the internet and social media. Some of these hoaxes and rumors claimed that she died in a car crash, while others claimed that she committed suicide or was killed by a stalker. However, the truth is that Selena Gomez is alive and well, and has been busy with her career and personal life. Here is how the hoaxes and rumors started and how they were debunked.
The Car Crash Rumor
The car crash rumor was one of the earliest and most persistent hoaxes that claimed that Selena Gomez had died. The rumor originated from a fake news website called Global Associated News, which posted an article in November 2013, stating that Selena Gomez had died in a car accident in New Mexico. The article claimed that Selena Gomez had lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a tree, and that she was pronounced dead at the scene. The article also provided a fake police report and a fake witness statement, to make the story more believable.
The article was shared by many people on social media, who believed that it was true and expressed their shock and sadness. However, the article was completely false, and was part of a prank that the website had created. The website had a disclaimer at the bottom of the page, stating that the article was “generated by a machine and is not real”. The website also had a feature that allowed users to create their own fake news stories, by entering the name of a celebrity and a location. The website then generated a random story, using a template that involved a car crash, a plane crash, or a skiing accident.
The car crash rumor was debunked by several sources, who confirmed that Selena Gomez was alive and well, and that the article was a hoax. Some of these sources were:
- Selena Gomez herself, who posted a photo on her Instagram account on November 12, 2013, showing her smiling and holding a cup of coffee. She captioned the photo with “I’m alive” and added a wink emoji.
- Selena Gomez’s representatives, who issued a statement to the media, saying that the singer and actress was not dead, and that she was a victim of a death hoax. They also said that they were working with the authorities to track down the source of the hoax and to take legal action against them.
- Global Associated News, which admitted that the article was a hoax, and that it was part of a prank that they had created. They also apologized for any inconvenience or distress that they had caused to Selena Gomez and her fans.
The Instagram Hack
The Instagram hack was another hoax that claimed that Selena Gomez had died, but this time, it was the work of a hacker, who had gained access to her Instagram account. The hacker posted a photo on Selena Gomez’s Instagram account in August 2021, showing a black screen with the words “R.I.P. @selenagomez” and “1982-2021”. The hacker also changed Selena Gomez’s bio to “Just remember, life is too short to be anything but happy” and added a link to a website that claimed to have exclusive footage of her death.
The photo was seen by millions of Selena Gomez’s followers, who were shocked and confused by the post. Some of them thought that it was true and mourned her death, while others thought that it was a joke or a mistake and questioned its authenticity. The photo also attracted the attention of some celebrities and media outlets, who were also fooled by the hoax and offered their condolences to Selena Gomez’s family and friends.
The Instagram hack was debunked by several sources, who confirmed that Selena Gomez was alive and well, and that the photo was a hoax. Some of these sources were:
- Selena Gomez herself, who posted a video on her Instagram account on August 15, 2021, showing her singing and dancing with her friends. She captioned the video with “I’m alive and well, thanks for asking” and added the hashtag #stopthehate.
- Selena Gomez’s representatives, who issued a statement to the media, saying that the singer and actress was not dead, and that her Instagram account had been hacked and used to spread false and malicious information. They also said that they had regained control of her account and that they had deleted the hoax post. They also said that they were working with Instagram and the authorities to identify and prosecute the hacker.
- Instagram, which apologized for the hack and said that it was caused by a security breach that affected some of the verified accounts on the platform. They also said that they had fixed the issue and that they had restored the accounts to their rightful owners. They also said that they had taken measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Conclusion
Selena Gomez is not dead, but she has been the target of several hoaxes and rumors that have claimed that she died in various ways. These hoaxes and rumors were spread by fake news websites, hackers, and pranksters, who wanted to create confusion and chaos among her fans and the public. However, these hoaxes and rumors were debunked by several sources, including Selena Gomez herself, her representatives, and the platforms that were involved. Selena Gomez is still one of the most popular and successful singers and actresses in the world, and she has many projects and plans for the future.