William Shatner Addresses Rumors He’s Dying of Brain Cancer

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William Shatner has not reached his final frontier.

William Shatner, the famous actor from Star Trek, recently criticized a Facebook group for spreading false information about his health using artificial intelligence. The group reportedly created fake news stories and even fabricated images of him in a hospital bed.

William Shatner addressed false reports circulating online, stating that several stories claiming he has stage 4 brain cancer and is dying have been published. He noted these stories are designed to earn money for their creators and often feature AI-generated images of him.

The 95-year-old explained that while none of the stories circulating online are real, people are still sharing them and sending supportive messages to him and his family. Unfortunately, whoever is creating these fake stories is profiting from them.

William Shatner revealed the false cancer report had even reached his daughter, Lisabeth Shatner, who is 64 and shares a family with her husband and children. Lisabeth is Shatner’s daughter with his former wife, Gloria Rand.

He explained that his daughter told him their grandchild had heard he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He shared a photo of himself relaxing outside, saying his daughter took it and sent it to him so he could post it and show everyone he’s doing well.

Shatner stated that the source of the false rumors about his health were people who were themselves unwell. He assured everyone he was in excellent health and there was no need to be concerned.

As someone who keeps a close eye on what’s happening with our favorite stars, I wanted to address some chatter about William Shatner’s health. It seems like rumors have been swirling, and he’s had to clarify things before. While he was briefly in the hospital last fall, he’s said the whole thing was really overblown by the gossip mill – thankfully, it wasn’t as serious as some people were suggesting.

He admitted to going a bit overboard in a recent Instagram post on September 25th. He reassured his followers that he’s doing well and reminded them not to believe everything they read in tabloids or generated by AI.

For more celebrities who’ve been at the center of a death hoax, keep reading.

Steve Burns, the original host of Blue’s Clues, is baffled by the persistent rumors about his death. Even during his time on the show, false stories circulated claiming he had passed away. Burns, who is very much alive, has spoken openly about how damaging this hoax was to his mental health. He shared on Rainn Wilson’s Soul Bloom podcast in May 2025 that being told you’re dead by countless strangers is particularly difficult when you’re already struggling with severe depression, and that he felt powerless to stop the spread of the rumor. The false stories continued even after he left the show in the early 2000s, with many people telling him they’d heard he was dead.

In March 2026, the Equalizer actress shut down rumors that she had died. 

She assured her followers in an Instagram video that she’s doing well, despite what they might have heard online. ‘Don’t believe everything you read or see,’ she said. ‘I’m okay, and that’s all that matters.’

Lil Tay recently revealed that her Instagram account was hacked after a false post claimed she and her brother had died. She told TMZ she and her brother are both safe, but she’s been incredibly upset and overwhelmed by the situation. She spent the last day dealing with the hack and receiving worried calls from family and friends.

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away, but a false report about her death surfaced six months earlier. In September 2022, Hollywood Unlocked mistakenly announced she had died. Jason Lee, the CEO of the outlet, explained to BuzzFeed News that he was very confident in the report, stating he’d admit being wrong if it turned out to be false. He promised to publicly acknowledge the mistake and move on if the information proved incorrect.

Who is behind these fake stories? Over the years, rumors have repeatedly claimed that Eminem has died. Just recently, in August 2023, a Facebook page saying “R.I.P. Eminem” gained attention, sparking another false report. A representative for Eminem confirmed to The Sun that he is, in fact, alive and well, and urged people to stop believing everything they read online. This hoax is part of a long history of celebrities being falsely reported as deceased.

In 2014, after false reports of his death in a car crash circulated online, actor Jerry Seinfeld used Twitter to let fans know he was, in fact, “alive and well.”

Chloë, known for her role in Carrie, was upset after false rumors circulated in 2013 claiming she had died in a snowboarding accident. She shared on Twitter that she’d received calls from worried family and friends, and angrily denounced the reports as untrue and malicious, confirming she was alive and well.

 
 
 

A false report circulated on Facebook, claiming Jim Carrey had died in a plane crash in 2012. However, his representative confirmed to TopMob News that the actor is alive and well.

The country singer quickly debunked rumors of her death, which claimed she had fallen off a mountain in Austria. In a 2012 tweet, she assured fans she was very much alive, stating, “I would love to be filming a movie in Austria, but I definitely did not fall off a mountain! I am alive and kicking!!!”

 

To dispel rumors that he’d died of a heart attack in 2011, Jon Bon Jovi shared a photo with the current date, playfully writing, “Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey! Don’t worry, Jon is alive and doing well.” He posted the picture to prove he was still with us.

 

The rapper addressed rumors about her death in 2011 with a tweet saying she was doing well and asked people to enjoy their evening. The following day, she added that it was sad someone would create such a hurtful rumor, and that it motivated her to work even harder to prove them wrong.

Following false reports of a snowboarding accident in 2011, the actor’s representative confirmed to TopMob that he was actually working on a project in Atlanta.

In 2011, a false rumor spread online that actor Jackie Chan had died, starting with a Facebook page titled “R.I.P. Jackie Chan.” This wasn’t the first time Chan had been the subject of such rumors; similar false reports circulated earlier that same year.

I was absolutely shocked when I heard rumors that he’d fallen off a cliff and died in New Zealand back in 2011! Thankfully, it was all a hoax, and he quickly used Twitter to set the record straight. I remember being so impressed with his response – he said he’d love to meet whoever started the death rumors just to show them what a ‘dead foot’ felt like! It was a pretty bold way to prove he was alive and well, and honestly, a bit hilarious.

Back in 2009, false rumors circulated online claiming the rapper had died in a car accident, causing the hashtag “RIP Kanye West” to become popular on Twitter. However, his then-girlfriend, Amber Rose, quickly clarified the situation, tweeting that the rumors were untrue and not funny.

After false reports circulated in 2009 claiming he had passed away, Zach Braff made a video to assure everyone he was still alive. In the video, he joked, “I’m alive! I’m here at Scrubs filming the new opening sequence, which feels a little like dying, so the report wasn’t totally wrong.” He even included his Scrubs co-star, Donald Faison, in the playful hoax.

Okay, so get this – Zach just told me, like, what he wants at my funeral. Can you believe it?! He said if I, you know, kick the bucket, he wants to sing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’… but an R&B version! Seriously, an R&B ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’! I’m already picturing it, and honestly? It’s perfect. I mean, who else would get that kind of send-off? It’s so him, and so… me. I’m living for it, even though it’s a little morbid. He just gets me.

That year, false rumors spread that the Academy Award-winning actor had gone missing while camping in the Palo Verde Mountains of California. Matt Damon, however, dismissed the reports with a laugh. When asked about it on The Late Show With David Letterman, he jokingly said, according to TMZ, “I haven’t heard, but I feel pretty good.”

William Shatner, best known as Captain Kirk from Star Trek, recently denied reports claiming he had stage 4 brain cancer. He specifically criticized a Facebook group for spreading false stories about his health, saying they were using artificial intelligence to create the misinformation.

Okay, so he finally addressed it on X – it’s all fake! All those amazing stories circulating? Not real. But honestly, it’s kinda flattering, even though he’s annoyed people are sharing them and, even worse, someone’s profiting off of it while sending well-wishes to him and his family. It just feels…weird. I mean, I reposted some, and so did tons of other fans, because they were so inspiring! But knowing it’s all made up…ugh. Still, I’m glad he clarified, even if it stings a little.

Back in 2009, someone hacked Britney Spears’ TwitPic account and posted a message saying “sad day.” A quick follow-up post clarified that Britney’s Twitter had been compromised and the previous message wasn’t true. It assured fans she was doing well and enjoying a relaxing day at home.

There’s a saying that bad news comes in threes, and fans were understandably worried when rumors spread online that Jeff Goldblum had died on the same day as Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. However, Goldblum quickly put those fears to rest by appearing on The Colbert Report and jokingly dismissing the reports. He quipped, “No one will miss Jeff Goldblum more than me,” and added with a smile, “He was not only a friend and a mentor, but he was also, um, me.”

Despite rumors in 2010 that he had fallen from the Kauri Cliffs, the Top Gun actor was actually in New York City at the time.

A representative for Tom Cruise told TopMob News that the claim is false. They confirmed Cruise is not currently in New Zealand and hasn’t visited recently, dismissing the report as inaccurate and coming from unreliable online sources.

Rumors started spreading quickly and caused a lot of trouble. Throughout 2008, Miley Cyrus had to repeatedly deny false stories, like one claiming a truck crashed into her car and another that she had died in an accident involving a drunk driver. Thankfully, none of it was true, and she’s doing just fine.

In 2007, someone falsely reported on Wikipedia that comedian Sinbad, whose real name is David Adkins, had passed away from a heart attack. A Wikipedia spokesperson explained that the page had been vandalized. A representative for Sinbad later confirmed to Reuters that he was alive and well, and enjoying life.

Will Ferrell didn’t worry much when a false rumor spread in 2006 claiming he had died in a paragliding accident.

I remember when this all came out – it was a crazy morning! I saw the reports popping up everywhere, and Will Ferrell’s team immediately addressed it. His publicist emailed TopMob saying they’d seen it too and were dealing with it. Honestly, they didn’t even bother trying to find out where it started because it was so clearly fake. They just knew it wasn’t true and moved on, which I really appreciated.

I remember back in 2001, it was absolutely terrifying! Some DJs in Texas started a rumor that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had been in a horrible car accident. They said Justin was in a coma and, unbelievably, that Britney hadn’t made it. Thankfully, their team quickly shut it down. I was so relieved when their label released a statement saying it was completely false and that both Britney and Justin were doing great. It was a scary time for all of us fans!

A popular conspiracy theory claimed that Paul McCartney of the Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by someone who looked like him. Paul McCartney has repeatedly denied this rumor, even jokingly addressing it in a skit on Saturday Night Live. In the skit, the late comedian Chris Farley questioned him about the hoax, and McCartney playfully confirmed it, saying, “Yeah, I wasn’t really dead.”

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2026-04-03 05:18