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Don't believe the rumors: Jeff Goldblum is alive and well in Los Angeles
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Jeff Goldblum is alive and well in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)
Rumors that Jeff Goldblum had fallen off a cliff and died while filming in New Zealand went viral today, but it's all just a big hoax. New Zealand's Fairfax media site, Stuff, reports that Mr. Goldblum's publicist, Evelyn Karamanos, confirmed he's alive and well:
Reports that Jeff Goldblum has passed away are completely untrue. He is fine and in Los Angeles."
The rumors are an old hoax from 1999, according to the report. New Zealand police said the fake rumors resurface every nowand then. Today was an opportune time, obviously, because the world is in shock over Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson dying on the same day. #JeffGoldblum was one of the top trending topics on Twitter.
People are still talking about it. One person tweeted:
Ed McMahon, Farrah, MJ, and now Jeff Goldblum too? Four in one week, three in a day... :(
This type of rumor is not a cute little prank. It can be devastating to family and friends who don't realize it's a hoax. And it illustrates the worst dangers of do-it-yourself citizen journalism. Trained, reliable journalists always cite their sources — and link to them online wherever possible. They do not publish stories without confirming the facts and informing famlies.
Anyone can start a web site and post rumors, gossip and maliciously false reports. That's the nature of the Internet. We are not suggesting censorship. Nor do we imagine that trying to educate the gossip mongers would be very useful, particularly when they get paid for the traffic their splashy, false headlines bring.
What we do suggest is that people who use the Internet become their own fact checkers. When you see a headline claiming a celebrity is dead, Google it. Look for confirmation on reputable media outlets where writers are paid to confirm facts before they publish a story. If a celebrity truly has died, the Los Angeles Times will get confirmation from their agent or family and publish a story about it within an hour or two.
It's fun to keep up with celebrity news, but it's just trashy and stupid to repeat rumors without confirming the facts.
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