Claim: A star actor was killed in a fall from a cliff while filming in New Zealand.
Example:[Collected via e-mail, May 2011]
Actor - George Clooney
George Clooney Falls To His Death In New Zealand
THIS STORY IS STILL DEVELOPING...
Actor George Clooney
George Clooney died while filming a movie in New Zealand early this morning - MAy 22, 2011.
Preliminary reports from New Zealand Police officials indicate that the actor fell more than 60 feet to his death on the Kauri Cliffs while on-set. Specific details are not yet available.
The accident occured at aproximatly 4:30 a.m. (UTC/GMT +12). Additional details and information will be forthcoming.
New Zealand, in recent years has grown in populariaty as a backdrop for Hollywood producers because of it's scenic and rugged landscape.
Recent movies filmed in New Zealand include The Lord Of the Rings, King Kong, and The Chronicles Of Narnia.
Origins: This item about the accidental death of a star actor who supposedly fell to his death from a cliff while working on a film in New Zealand is yet another Internet-spread celebrity death hoax. The original version featured Academy-Award winning actor George Clooney and hit our inbox on 16 November 2006. It was taken directly from a prank web site that allows users to enter names which
are slapped into phony news stories generated from templates.
In October 2008, a similar hoax claimed actor Tom Cruise had plunged to death from the same Kauri Cliffs that hadn't killed George Clooney two years earlier. "This is completely not true. Tom is not in New Zealand nor has he been there recently. This is erroneous and unreliable Internet garbage," said Cruise publicist Jeff Raymond.
In June 2009, in the immediate wake of the death of Michael Jackson, this same hoax was dusted off and circulated again, that time with Jeff Goldblum as the actor supposedly killed in a fall from a cliff. Goldblum was still very much alive, as confirmed by his publicist.
Also surfacing at that time were celebrity death hoaxes featuring actor Harrison Ford (who supposedly had disappeared from a yacht which sank off St Tropez.), actor George Clooney (plane crash), comedian Louie Anderson, teen star Miley Cyrus (car accident), talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, singer Britney Spears, actress Natalie Portman, singer Rick Astley (found dead in a hotel room), and actor James Caan.
In June 2010, the cliff death hoax was dusted off yet again, that time featuring actor Russell Crowe and setting the demise in Kitzbühel, Austria.
In May 2011, the New Zealand cliff death hoax reappeared, killing George Clooney the same way as in 2006. Another version of the leg-pull had actor Will Smith taking the fatal fall.
A September 2011 hoax listed Tony Danza as the deceased celebrity.
A January 2012 version in circulation had singer Reba McEntire dying while filming a movie in Kitzbühel, Austria. Reba's official web site disputed the tale of her demise, saying:
Contrary to ludicrous reports, Reba has not passed away, nor was she even in Austria at the time of her alleged death. Global Associated News, who devised this latest celebrity hoax, is an entertainment site that generates 'totally fake articles based on zero truth.' Reba is alive and well, but would like to thank her loyal fans for their concern.
