Michael J. Fox said that he is “OK” after CNN posted a remembrance of the actor, which has subsequently been taken down.
“The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family,” the network said in a statement.
Fox wrote on Threads late on Wednesday, “How do you reach when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death? Do you … (A) switch to MSNBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding hot water on your lap, if it hurts your fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she’s concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, (E) Ask yourself wtf? I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me and I’m ok. Love, Mike.”
TMZ posted a screenshot of the article, “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox.”
Fox is an advocate for Parkinson’s research, and was diagnosed with the disease in the 1990s.
The actor this week appeared at PaleyFest in Los Angeles for a session on the Apple TV series Shrinking.
Media outlets typically keep a library of advanced obituaries and tribute packages, and this is certainly not the first time that one has erroneously published one to a famous person who is still alive. In 1998, the Associated Press accidentally published on its website a partial obituary for Bob Hope, who was still living. A congressman saw the story and announced the death on the House floor.
