Fact Check

Martin Lawrence Death Hoax

Rumor: Comedian Martin Lawrence has been found dead in a hotel room.

Published April 13, 2015

Claim:

Claim:   Comedian Martin Lawrence was found dead in a hotel room.


FALSE


Example:   [Collected via Twitter, April 2015]





 

Origins:   In March 2015, the entertainment website News Buzz Daily published a fictional report claiming that comedian Martin Lawrence had been found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room:



Comedian Martin Lawrence was found dead inside of a Los Angeles hotel this morning. Lawrence was scheduled to checkout this morning after 10 AM. At approximately 10:15 AM, a maid named Verna Del Sosa went to Lawrences room to clean and thats when Lawrences body was discovered on the floor. "I was shocked, Ive never seen a dead body before", says Del Sosa. Del Sosa immediately called for an ambulance but it was too late. According to the paramedics, it appears that Lawrences body laid lifeless on the hotel floor for several days.

Although a disclaimer on the News Buzz Daily states that all "articles written on this site are for entertainment and satirical purposes only," this Martin Lawrence death hoax was quickly republished on various web sites that lacked such a disclaimer. This led many readers to believe that the Bad Boys actor had indeed passed away.

But this is not true. While Martin Lawrence has not yet directly addressed rumors about his demise, the still-breathing comedian was active on social media in the days after his alleged death.

Last updated:   13 April 2015

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.

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