American television personality and comedian Steve Harvey became the subject of a fake AI-generated story about his death on Wednesday. Contrary to a viral news story published on Tuesday, December 18, Harvey is alive and well.
According to The Wrap, an AI-generated article titled “Steve Harvey Died Today: Remembering the Legacy of a Comedy Legend” was reportedly posted on Trend Cast News for publication on December 19. The fake news quickly spread across multiple news sites and social media platforms.
The false report caused “Steve Harvey” to become the second most searched term on Google on Wednesday morning. Although Harvey is alive, the rapid spread of the fake news left many fans angry.
“IS STEVE HARVEY DEAD WTF IS GOING ON!” wrote one person on social media.
Another fan added, “The internet really needs to stop playing with people’s lives. That false ass news about Steve Harvey being dead is wrong.”
Steve Harvey Dead Rumors
Photo Credit: Getty Images
This isn’t the first time Harvey has been the victim of a death hoax. According to fact-checker Snopes, he has been targeted by numerous false reports in the past, all of which were debunked.
The latest fake article, titled “Steve Harvey Passed Away Today: Remembering The Legacy Of A Comedy Legend,” was posted to Trend Cast News and later picked up by NewsBreak, a popular content aggregation site known for occasionally sharing “AI fiction.” Notably, the fake article included a future publishing date of December 19, 2024, but it remained live on NewsBreak as of Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson for NewsBreak told The Independent:
“NewsBreak is an information platform that aggregates content from a wide range of sources, including leading news outlets. Our team investigates any content flagged as harmful or misleading and acts swiftly to remove anything that violates our Community Standards. We have removed the article in question and sincerely apologise to Mr Harvey and his family for any grief that it has caused.”
Steve Harvey Is Alive And Well
Photo Credit: Genaro Molina, Los Angeles Times
Although Harvey has not released an official statement regarding the issue, he has been active on his social media platforms, posting several updates for fans on X and Facebook.
