This week, rumors of the death of Michael J. Fox (who is alive) have been so greatly exaggerated that the actor (still alive) had to post on social media Wednesday night that he is, in fact, alive. The actor is 64 and will remain so for the next two months, at which point in time he’ll turn 65.
Those rumors began when CNN distributed a video titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox,” according to Entertainment Weekly. Well, Fox certainly remembers his life because he’s still living it.
“How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death?” Fox wrote in a Threads post. “Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding [sic] 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.”
The clip, which has since been removed, reportedly showed clips from throughout Fox’s career, which has included the hit TV series Family Ties and Spin City, the Back to the Future movies, Teen Wolf, Greedy, Mars Attacks, and a middling adaptation of Bright Lights, Big City, among other films. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, revealing it to the public in 1998, as seen in the Emmy-winning 2023 documentary Still, which elegantly showed just how much Fox enjoys living. Moreover, he continues to act, having recently appeared on the show Shrinking.
“He came into our living rooms on the small screen each week as [Family Ties’] Alex P. Keaton and eventually onto the big screen as [Back to the Future’s] Marty McFly,” the tribute clip’s narrator said, according to EW. “But Michael J. Fox had a compelling third act as Parkinson’s sufferer and stem cell research advocate.”
CNN apologized for the gaffe in a statement. “The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family,” a CNN spokesperson told EW.
Fox most recently proved his livingness on Tuesday when he made an appearance at PaleyFest in Los Angeles, according to People.
