Fact Check

Was Scott Baio Killed in a Small Plane Crash?

Fake news sites reported that the former "Happy Days" actor died in a plane crash on his way to visit President Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Published May 29, 2017

 (sbukley / Shutterstock.com)
Image Via sbukley / Shutterstock.com
Claim:
Actor Scott Baio died in a small plane crash on his way to play golf with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Actor Scott Baio, 56, is alive and well, despite a 29 May 2017 report that originated on the web site Last Line of Defense to the effect that he was killed in a plane crash on his way to visit President Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida:

Chachi can now apologize to Joannie for being so rude. Scott Baio, 56, was killed when the single-engine Cessna he was in crashed into the side of a hill in Louisiana. Baio was headed to Mar-A-Lago to barbecue shrimp and play gold [sic] with President Trump.

Baio’s wife, Raylene, wasn’t on the plane but was checked into St Timothy’s on a suicide watch after the news sent her into a breakdown. Spokesmen for several actors who wouldn’t be caught dead in a film with Baio said that he was “really special as Chachi” and he “sure did do a nice job with Charles in Charge.”

We assume that the phrase "play gold with President Trump" is a typo, and that the author intended to write "play golf with President Trump."

Not that the detail matters, given that Last Line of Defense is a well-known purveyor of fake news and the entire story is a work of fiction. As stated in the web site's disclaimer, LLOD is a "satirical" publication:

We present fiction as fact and our sources don’t actually exist. Names that represent actual people and places are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and do not in any way depict reality.

Sources

Stryker.   "BREAKING: Scott Baio Killed In Small Plane Crash On His Way To Mar-A-Lago."     The Last Line of Defense.   29 May 2017.

David Emery is a West Coast-based writer and editor with 25 years of experience fact-checking rumors, hoaxes, and contemporary legends.