CNN Apologizes After Erroneously Reporting Beloved Star Michael J. Fox Died

Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox (Photo by Efren Landaos/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

Beloved actor Michael J. Fox, a prominent advocate for Parkinson’s Disease research, is alive and “doing great,” according to his representative.

The actor spoke out following a CNN article and video titled, “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox,” despite no other reports that the actor was anything but thriving.

CNN’s post has since been taken down, but not before being captured by TMZ.

A CNN spokesperson told Mediaite, “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 Family Ties and Back To The Future star told his fans on Threads:

How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death? Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, 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.

It’s not the first time rumors of Fox’s untimely demise have swept the internet. In 2014, Fox was trending on Twitter, leading fans to believe he had passed.

Fox’s representative told TMZ Thursday, “Michael is doing great. He was at PaleyFest yesterday. He was on stage and was giving interviews.”

PaleyFest, held in Los Angeles, is described as the nation’s premier media, television, and entertainment festival that brings together fans with their favorite stars.

Fox’s appearance was in support of Season 3 of the Apple TV+ show, “Shrinking” with Harrison Ford. 

“’Shrinking’ marked Fox’s first acting role since 2020,” Variety reported. “He originally announced he was retiring from acting via his book, ‘No Time Like the Future,’ where he told fans that his Parkinson’s was making it too difficult to be on set and to memorize lines. But on the ‘Shrinking’ set, it didn’t matter.”

“It was the first time ever I get to show up on-set, and I didn’t have to worry about am I too tired or coughing or anything,” Fox told People magazine. “I just do it. It was really good, because for the moments when I say, ‘I’m not going to be able to do this,’ then I say, ‘Well, I’ll just deal with how I can’t do it in the scene.’ And you get through it.”

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1990 at the age of 29, but he didn’t go public with his diagnosis until eight years later. Fox has since founded  The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and raised more than $2 billion for research into the progressive neurological disorder.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!