Despite what you may have read, Jeff Goldblum, Natalie Portman, George Clooney, Britney Spears, Harrison Ford and Rick Astley are alive.

Fake news of their deaths flew across the Internet — particularly on online social networks like Twitter and Facebook — after Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon were reported dead.

The situation is calling attention to the changing state of the news media: As information online moves faster and comes from more sources, it’s more difficult to verify what’s true and what may be shockingly false.

Some have downplayed the situation, saying the rumors are not harmful. Others find the situation offensive in light of the actual deaths last week.

Internet-savvy readers can tell the difference between fake news and real information that has been verified by a trusted blogger or mainstream news reporter, said Gabriel Snyder, managing editor at Gawker, a celebrity news and gossip blog not associated with the rumors. “It’s easier than ever to publish stuff, and the human condition is a complicated thing. Some people just like to be responsible for starting something,” he said, noting that the trend is not especially new.

Others say the fake deaths, or “death pranks,” show an inherent problem with the decentralization of news on the Internet.

The man who claims indirect responsibility for several of the recent fake celebrity deaths is Rich Hoover, whose site, fakeawish.com, allows users to input celebrity names into five false news templates with outlandish stories about their deaths.

Hoover said the site’s fans used its story-generation power to start rumors that Goldblum, Ford, Portman and Clooney had died. Traffic on his site jumped from a few thousand users per day to about 500,000 in the two days after Michael Jackson’s death, he said.

A fake story that appears to have been generated by the site claimed that Portman had died after falling off a cliff in New Zealand. But while a small disclaimer tells readers the story is false, Hoover said many Twitter and Facebook users re-post links after reading only a story headline.

“I’m absolutely flabbergasted by the success of this and the impact these social networks have on communication — and the communication of misinformation,” he said.

About 85 percent of the recent traffic on Hoover’s site came from Facebook and Twitter, he said, adding that the traffic does help him make money.

CNN could not independently verify that the celebrity rumors started from Hoover’s site.

CNN’s user-generated news community, iReport.com, was criticized for spreading celebrity death rumors following Michael Jackson’s death.

One of the site’s users sent in a post saying Astley had died. That false news about the singer of “Never Gonna Give You Up” was not aired on CNN or CNN.com, both of which vet iReports for accuracy before using them in reporting.

For pop star Spears, the recent false news came across Twitter, a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages.

After a post said Spears had died, a correction was posted to her Twitter feed on Sunday, saying “Britney’s Twitter was just hacked. The last message is obviously not true. She is fine and dandy spending a quiet day at home relaxing.”

News surrounding deaths is very sensitive and must be correct, said Elaine Haney, president of tributes.com, an obituary site that verifies deaths, often through funeral homes, before posting.

“You never want to kill somebody by accident,” she said.

She added, “I don’t think there’s much good to say about somebody who would joke about something serious like that. It’s unfortunate.”

The fake news may not be all bad for celebrities.

Goldblum, for example, went on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” to dispel rumors that he had died.

In the episode, host Stephen Colbert jokes that he thinks Goldblum is dead even as the actor appears on stage beside him.

Goldblum then posts to Twitter to try to prove that he is still living.

“Oh my God! Ladies and gentlemen, I have huge news,” Colbert says, upon reading Goldblum’s tweet on his phone. “The dead can Twitter.”

Goldblum then reads his own false obituary into the camera.

Today one of the biggest stars in the history of the world died. How did the internet’s self-proclaimed “Queen of all Media” respond? By accusing Michael Jackson of faking the whole thing.

In the last hour Perez Hilton has taken down the photo shown here and amended his original post so he doesn’t look as bad, but here’s the text of what he originally posted.

We knew something like this would happen!!

Michael Jackson was taken by ambulance from his Holmby Hills home to a nearby Los Angeles hospital on Thursday afternoon!!

Supposedly, the singer went into cardiac arrest and the paramedics had to administer CPR!!!

His mother is even on the way to visit him!!!

We are dubious!!

Jacko pulled a similar stunt when he was getting ready for his big HBO special in ‘95 when he “collapsed” at rehearsal!

He was dragging his heels on that just like his upcoming 50 date London residency at the 02 Arena, of which he already postponed the first few dates!!!

Either he’s lying or making himself sick, but we’re curious to see if he’s able to go on!!!

Get your money back, ticket holders!!!!

After Jackson was pronounced dead, Hilton took down the photo and edited the text down to these three sentences:

Michael Jackson was taken by ambulance from his Holmby Hills home to a nearby Los Angeles hospital on Thursday afternoon!!

The singer went into cardiac arrest and the paramedics had to administer CPR!!!

His mother is even on the way to visit him!!!

Meanwhile, the Matthew Shepard Foundation rejected Hilton’s offer to donate whatever money he receives from a lawsuit against Black Eyed Peas manager Polo Molina. Here is the statement they released this afternoon:

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was surprised to learn this morning via media reports that blogger Perez Hilton (Mario Lavandeira) has announced he plans to donate, to our organization, the proceeds of a lawsuit he is contesting over an altercation which has been widely reported in recent days.

We had no advance notice or contact from Mr. Hilton or his representatives regarding this proposal, nor any communication since he posted this plan to his website.

We do not know the details of the lawsuit, whether it has been filed, the nature of his claims or the likely outcome. But because the lawsuit presumably involves the physical attack prompted by Mr. Hilton’s admitted use of an anti-gay slur, the Foundation will be unable to accept any funds obtained in such a manner.

We very much appreciate the generosity of the offer to support our continuing work to memorialize Matthew through activism in defense of sexual minorities and in favor of understanding, compassion, and acceptance. But because so much of our work involves education to reduce the use of hateful language against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, or those so perceived, it would be inappropriate for us to benefit financially from circumstances in which such a verbal attack was involved.

While we applaud Mr. Hilton’s apology to the LGBT community and their loved ones for his use of such a slur, we also feel compelled to point out that use of epithets can often lead to physical violence, as it appears it may have in this case, and that the Matthew Shepard Foundation has worked for more than 10 years to bring to people’s attention the consequences of hateful or inolerant language.

Judy Shepard
Chair, MSF Governing Board

MICHAEL Jackson has died after suffering what is believed to have been a heart attack in Los Angeles.

The singer, 50, was pronounced dead soon after he arrived at an LA hospital.

The LA Coroner has confirmed his death.

Lieutenant Fred Corral told CNN Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26pm (7.26am) local time after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.

“I can tell you at this time that we were notified by West Los Angeles Police Department detectives that Mr Jackson was transported … to the hospital, and upon admitting, he was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at approximately 2:26 this afternoon,” Corral told CNN.

Corral said an autopsy would “most likely” be carried out tomorrow but would not speculate on the exact cause of death.

“Everything is still ongoing. We will be responding to the hospital to move Mr Jackson to our facility where he will be examined to determine the cause of death,” Corral said.

“At that point, as I said, there’s no further medical history until we get and review the medical records.”

Jackson, who had been preparing for his comeback tour, was rushed to the UCLA Medical Centre shortly before 12.30pm local time.

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Paramedics received a 911 call directing them to the Bel Air home, off Sunset Boulevard, which Jackson rented for $100,000 a month.

Fire Department Captain Steve Ruda told US media Jackson was not breathing when they arrived. Mr Ruda said they received him at about 12.21pm.

When they arrived, they performed CPR and rushed Jackson to the medical centre, about a six-minute drive away.

Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney, said he was told by brother Randy Jackson that Michael Jackson had collapsed at his home in west Los Angeles.

Family members were told of the situation and were either at the hospital or en route, Oxman said.

His sister La Toya was seen rushing to the medical centre in tears.

The Los Angeles Times and CBS reported that Jackson arrived in a deep coma and was pronounced dead soon afterwards.

His dad Joe Jackson was shocked and confused after learning his son had been hospitalised.

Gallery: Michael Jackson and his very Wacko life that turned tragic

Go live outside the hospital with Fox News here

Join The Daily Telegraph’s tribute blog to Michael Jackson:

“His mother is on her way to the hospital now,” Joe Jackson said.

Police officers cordoned off the road outside Jackson’s Bel Air home yesterday as fans swamped the UCLA Medical Centre.

Michael is survived by three children _ Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.

The seventh of nine children, Jackson was born in Indiana before moving to LA with his family where he became the star of the Jackson 5.

Watch the unfolding scene live at the hospital where Michael Jackson died

The artist behind the biggest-selling album of all time, Thriller, Jackson was attempting a comeback after years of headlines about his child molestation charges (he was acquitted) to his plastic surgery and his habit of wearing face masks.

He had been scheduled to perform 50 sell-out concerts at London’s 02 arena from next week to March 2010.

Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 as a member of the Jackson 5 with his brothers.

The group had a number of hits on Motown in the 1970s.

Five of his solo albums are some of the top-selling albums of all time: “Off the Wall,” 1982’s “Thriller,” “Bad,” “Dangerous” and “HISstory.”

He was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and had 13 Grammy awards and 13 number one singles.

He has sold over 750 million albums worldwide.

His total earnings have been estimated at $500 million dollars. His music videos on MTV, such as “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” were some of the most influential early music videos, and his sound influenced numerous hip hop and R&B artists.

He was tried and acquitted of sexual abuse allegations in 2005.

He married nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe in Sydney, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr, also known as Prince, and a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.

After they divorced in 1999, he retained full custody of the children.

In the early 1990s, he was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley.

He lived at Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara from 1988 to 2005.

It was sold to Colony Capital, although he still owns a stake in the property.

To celebrate his 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a compilation album, “King of Pop,” in various countries, but it was not released in the US.

The Los Angeles Times reported Jackson’s condition had died after going into a deep coma.

In recent months, Jackson had been trying to revive his flagging career which crashed after he faced child-sex charges – allegations he eventually beat in court.

As the first step in this comeback, the singer had been due to play 50 sell-out shows at London’s O2 Arena starting in July.

But the King of Pop had already postponed the first few nights’ shows amid claims he was suffering health problems.

The Daily Mail in London reported organisers AEG Live said this was in order to make sure everything for the “massive and technically complex show” was running smoothly.

But critics say ongoing concerns about Jackson’s health were the real reason behind the gigs having to be postponed.

Earlier this year, Jackson was seen emerging from a doctors three times in one week amid rumours that he was battling skin cancer.

The claims were denied by his representatives.

Jackson has not been on tour for more than a decade, but the concerts at the O2 were seen as his final comeback before finally retiring from music.

In later years, Jackson – whose personal life and sexual preferences remained somewhat mysterious – was plagued by child-sex allegations.

He was accused of molesting an American boy Jordan Chandler after befriending his father early in the 1990s and reportedly settled for $US30million for the allegations to go away and avoid possible charges.

But in 2003, Jackson faced new child-sex allegations that he abused a teenage boy he had also befriended during sleepovers. The singer ended up facing seven sex charges in court but was acquitted.

The paedophile image, however, did enormous damage to his career and Jackson became a virtual recluse, with his behaviour increasingly weird and reports that his financial position was becoming dire due to bad investments, skyrocketing legal bills and a public turned against him.

ACTRESS Farrah Fawcett is reportedly close to death just days after longtime love Ryan O’Neal revealed the couple were getting married.

Family members of the former Charlie’s Angels star are gathering for their final goodbyes, celebrity site TMZ.com is reporting.

TMZ.com was reporting 30 minutes ago that she had just been given the last rites by a priest in hospital.

“It was just related to me, that our Farrah just given last rites. She is not in any pain. For those who believe make contact with god now,” her public relations agency posted on Twitter.

TMZ.com reports: “We just spoke to Farrah’s rep, who would only tell us,’She continues to be treated for her condition.’”

Farrah’s health has been deteriorating ever since she was diagnosed with anal cancer. O’Neal announced this week that he and Fawcett are getting married.

“I’ve asked her to marry me, again, and she’s agreed,” 68-year-old O’Neal told Barbara Walters, in a 20/20 interview to air this Friday.

Fawcett, 62, was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2006. “As soon as she can say yes,” he said. “Maybe we can just nod her head.”

The two began dating in 1980 and had an on-and-off-again relationship throughout the years, though they do share a son together, 24-year-old Redmond, who is now in rehab due to previous drug convictions.

O’Neal told NBC News in May that he has fallen even more in love with Fawcett since she began her battle with cancer.

“I know this, that in the last two years I loved her more than I’ve ever loved her,” he told Meredith Vieira. “She’s so much more of a woman … powerful, courageous, fearless and all those adjectives. And I look at her with awe.”

Perez Hilton is suing the man who allegedly punched him in the face last weekend.
Hilton’s target is Polo Molina, the road manager for the Black Eyed Peas. Hilton alleges battery and an intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hilton’s suit claims Molina attacked him outside of a Toronto club on Sunday night because the blogger wouldn’t stop writing about the Black Eyed Peas on his Web site. The suit wants payback in excess of $25,000.

Molina turned himself in to Toronto cops on Monday and was charged with assault. He’s due in court Aug. 5.

Hilton’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement, “Perez Hilton files this lawsuit to protect his freedom of speech and seeks legal redress against those who have physically assaulted him because they do not like his review of their album. Whether you love Perez or hate him, he is entitled to his freedom of speech without fear of physical violence. This lawsuit will make the statement that violence is never the answer.”

Speaking for journalists all over the globe, thank you, Paris Hilton, for standing up for all of us.

After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” President Sid Ganis announced Wednesday at a press conference in Beverly Hills. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same — one Best Picture winner — but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.

We were thinking the final outcome would be: an even longer show.

The move is an obvious response to discussion concerning recent omissions “The Dark Knight,” more art house style films such as “The Reader” and animated movies like Pixar favorites “Ratatouille” and “WALL-E.”

“Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” said Ganis. “I can’t wait to see what that list of 10 looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”

Actress Daryl Hannah has been arrested in West Virginia for stopping traffic.

Hannah, 48, was among activists protesting mountain mining who refused to move on when police arrived at a coal processing plant in Raleigh County to disperse the crowd. She was booked on misdemeanor charges of obstruction and impeding traffic. And, since she was there, they threw in an old charge of appearing in “The Clan of the Cave Bear.”

Climate control expert and NASA scientist James Hansen was also among the 32 people arrested on Tuesday. According to a news release from the protesters, the group admitted to crossing onto the property of Massey Energy and also admitted to “purposely trespassing to protest the destruction of mountains immediately above the Coal River Valley community.”

Hundreds of mourners have attended the funeral of actor David Carradine, held in Los Angeles 10 days after he was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room.

Family members were joined by former co-stars and other Hollywood figures in the congregation of about 400.

Actors Jane Seymour, Tom Selleck, Daryl Hannah and Lucy Liu were among them.

Thai authorities are still investigating Carradine’s death at the age of 72. A private pathologist ruled out suicide as a cause.

Carradine was found naked in a wardrobe with a cord around his neck and other parts of his body, Thai police said.

He was in Thailand filming his latest movie, Stretch, according to his personal manager.
At the funeral, his family were not visible to the media and his burial was private.

Security guards made sure only invited guests entered the service.

The order of service showed a photo of a smiling Carradine on the front, and a sketch of him on the back above the lyrics to Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers Band.

Other song selections included The Beatles’ Let It Be and Beethoven’s Requiem for a Fallen Hero, Associated Press reported.

Carradine is survived by his wife, Annie Bierman, and four children.

Carradine appeared in more than 100 films, but was best known early in his career for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the TV series Kung Fu, which aired from 1972-75.