William Shatner, the legendary 93-year-old actor best known for his role in “Star Trek,” has been in the news lately. Close to a year of persistent rumor concerning his health has generated enormous interest. Later reports online indicated that Shatner had, in fact, been transported to the hospital Wednesday — sending his fans into a panic. The celebrity soon put these rumors to rest after being notified by a concerned fan on Twitter.
The fan’s tweet, which read, “@WilliamShatner I thought you might want to know you’re dead,” highlighted the misinformation circulating about the actor’s well-being. Facing growing sensation over the catastrophic news, Shatner’s agency quickly cleared the air to ABC News by assuring the media that initial reports were false. They announced that he is “ resting at home,” alleviating fans’ concerns.
This isn’t the first time Captain Kirk has had to face down such claims. In 2018, he auditioned for a Facebook ad that went on to mislead people by suggesting he was dead. And he does not disappoint with his wry sense of humor in recounting these events. You can easily tell that by reading his short posts on social media.
Shatner jumped on Twitter, denying the baseless claims with a succinct, but well received, F*** You. Later, he responded to the situation with much more humor in an Instagram post. The actor shared a meme that read, “Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!” further emphasizing how he has handled the situation with grace and humor.
“I’m not planning on dying so please continue to block those kinds of ads.” – William Shatner
Shatner has sought out ways to proactively combat misinformation. When need be, he uses platforms like Instagram and Twitter to correct the record. He has pointed out that this trend of false reports is not new, and he remains vigilant in addressing them whenever they arise.
