If there’s one television host that millennials and gen Zers collectively adore for bringing out the best in his guests, it’s American comedian and writer Jimmy Fallon. Evolving into a showbiz icon of the 21st century, the late-night talk show host has forged his own loyal following over the years called ‘falpals’.

For many stans, however, the dawn of 16 November 2022 came with the shocking news of the star’s sudden passing on Twitter, with #RIPJimmyFallon making its way onto everyone’s feeds. But is Fallon actually dead? Here’s everything you need to know about The Tonight Show star’s bouts with the radioactive, post-apocalyptic thunderstorm of a platform—aka Twitter.

Rumours of Fallon’s alleged demise first gained traction on the bird app when user @SolidusJJ tweeted the screenshot of an alleged post by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s official Twitter account. Announcing the death of the host with a black-and-white image of him with a dog, the tweet read: “It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of late-night legend, husband, and father of two, Jimmy Fallon. 1923-2022.”

To this, @SolidusJJ tweeted: “Wait what the fuck I thought it was just a gag lmao rip I guess.”

wait what the fuck i thought it was just a gag lmao rip i guess pic.twitter.com/BntlYL1XJ4

— Solid JJ (@SolidusJJ) November 15, 2022

@SolidusJJ’s screenshot quickly went viral on the platform and many believed the announcement as it seemingly came from the late-night TV show’s official account. But if there’s one thing we know about users on the braindead app, it’s that they purposefully love to spread and digest misinformation—an antic only heightened by Technoking Elon Musk’s recent takeover.

Well, if the distorted black-and-white image didn’t give it away already, the screenshot was indeed edited and the details jotted were utterly wrong. First off, Fallon was not born in 1923, but in 1974—making him 48 years old. If one were to believe the year mentioned in the fake tweet, it would mean that Fallon would be 99 years old now.

https://twitter.com/MenEnthusiast2/status/1592688538532782081

Without sparing a thought, netizens quickly believed the fake tweet and flooded Twitter with tributes to the TV host. Only when it was fact-checked on the platform did it take a turn for the worse and evolve into a full-blown meme parade—with users posting pictures of other talk show hosts in a parody tribute format.

Gone but not forgotten. Rest easy king 🕊🥀
Sept 19, 1974-Nov 15, 2022 #RIPJimmyFallon pic.twitter.com/3HG2HkNSV8

— Eclipse Shade🍥 (@EclipseShade69) November 16, 2022

#RIPJimmyFallon my heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/7gfHFjIXoI

— Meg's Al Gore Rhythm (@the_meghaning) November 16, 2022

Heck, the trend also witnessed users expressing grief by uploading images of completely unrelated matters—throwing Fallon under the bus in the process:

bro i can't believe this, i used to love their sandwiches 😓😓😓 #RIPJimmyFallon pic.twitter.com/RoeMai2D0K

— hi i'm boppo (@Jimbonicus) November 16, 2022

https://twitter.com/TgraThaMan453/status/1592711609042219009

Now, it’s time to return to reality. As of writing this article, Jimmy Fallon is alive and well. Shortly after #RIPJimmyFallon gripped Twitter, the host himself hit up “Chief Twit” Musk by stating: “Elon, can you fix this? #RIPJimmyFallon.” To this, Musk replied: “Fix what?” Are we surprised? Not in the least. Disappointed? Heck, yes.

Fallon’s representatives have also confirmed that the comedian is, in fact, alive. “Fallon joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimised by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the internet,” the statement read.

While several celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, and Stranger Things’ Joe Keery have fallen victim to the hoax, the most recent debacle proves just how concerning a platform Twitter is slowly evolving into under Musk’s leadership.

Fix what?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2022

American actor and musician Joe Keery stole our hearts as the now-iconic Stranger Things character Steve Harrington. Though many fans already had a soft spot for the unlikable jock-turned-stressed out mother of four during the Netflix series’ first three instalments, it was season four that truly turned the actor into an internet sensation.

If, like most of us, you have been contributing to the incredibly high number of views on some of the most viral TikTok edits of Keery’s Stranger Things character, you must have also seen, more recently, some worrying clips claiming that the actor has died in a shooting.

While some videos alleged that the tragedy took place on 23 September 2022, others claimed it happened on 8 October. Is any of it actually true? We looked into it for you.

@marcluvr

season 2 steve has a grip on me #steveharrington #steveharringtonedit #strangerthings #strangerthingsedit #strangerthings4

♬ steve is hot - liv 🦇

Rumours of Keery’s alleged demise first gained traction on Facebook after a “R.I.P. Joe Keery” page attracted nearly one million likes. Those who read the account’s ‘about’ description were given a somewhat believable account of the 30-year-old’s passing.

https://www.tiktok.com/@strangerthings_86baby/video/7147024725624098054

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (October 08, 2022), our beloved actor Joe Keery passed away,” the description read. “Joe Keery was born on April 24, 1992 in Newburyport. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

As you can imagine, the news spread like wildfire—leading hundreds of fans to immediately start writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the beloved actor and musician was dead. That was until Twitter got involved, of course.

While many Facebook users believed the initial post, the Twittersphere was immediately sceptical of the report, probably learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months.

Some pointed out that the news had not been featured on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake claim, as the death of an actor of Keery’s stature would most definitely be seen as major news across publications.

Then, on Sunday 9 October, the actor’s reps officially confirmed that Keery has not passed away. “He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimised by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the internet,” they said.