Published 18:13 IST, April 15th 2020
Fact check: Did 'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek die due to complications? Rumours clarified
Fact check: Rumours about 'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek's death were doing the rounds on the internet, but they have since been proven wrong.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to a number of fake stories being passed around on the internet. Amidst the fake stories doing rounds on the internet, there are dedicated websites who are focussed upon sharing fabricated news in order to confuse people. Recently, one such site claimed that an important personality of the entertainment industry has passed away.
Claim -
The website Conservative Tears recently revealed that the renowned television personality Alex Trebek has passed away. The website also took a dig at the political standpoint of Alex Trebek stating that his conservative political beliefs are the reason he will be leaving behind a fortune for generations to come. Conservative Tears also claimed that Alex Trebek died due to 'complications' but did not state which health complications.
Rating - False
Alex Trebek might be going through some serious health issues due to pancreatic cancer, But he has come forward in March 2020 and expressed that he is fighting a long battle with utmost strength. The television personality has been fighting a battle since March 2019, when he first started taking chemotherapy for cancer. There have been no reports about Alex Trebek's passing from any trustable source. So the report can be classified as false
Also read: Fact Check: Is the Modi govt offering ₹ 15,000 to Indians under a PM scheme amid Covid?
Origin -
A website named Conservative tears has been notorious in the past to share fake stories about known personalities. They predominantly share death hoaxes and their website has a tagline of 'Death Hoaxes For Your Thoughts And Prayers. The Conservative Tears website first ran the fake story of Alex Trebek's passing which went viral on social media. The story was later shared by a number of questionable websites also.
Google Trends Analysis -
As the fake story about Alex Trebek's passing started doing rounds on social media, a number of people wished to search for the story's credibility. This led to a surge of Google searches about Alex Trebek's passing. Check it out below -
Updated 18:13 IST, April 15th 2020