Fact Check

Clint Eastwood Death Hoax

The actor and director did not die of a heart attack while filming a commercial in August 2019.

Published May 15, 2017

 (Wikimedia Commons)
Image Via Wikimedia Commons
Claim:
Clint Eastwood died of a heart attack while filming a commercial in August 2019.

In August 2019, a fake video appearing to originate with a CNN news report was used in conjunction with social media reports falsely asserting that actor/director Clint Eastwood had died at the age of 89 while filming a television commercial:

However, Eastwood was still alive and well as of August 2019, when he was currently engaged in promoting a 90-home development project in Carmel, California.

The famed Western actor had previously been the subject of similar death hoaxes. On 7 May 2017, the US Leader website reported that Eastwood had been found dead in his Brentwood, California home:

Clint Eastwood, more famous for westerns than politics, is still one of the most beloved figures in conservative circles. With his unwavering love for the conservative movement and his hatred for snowflakes, Eastwood made a mark that will never wash away.

The Orange County Sheriff confirmed this morning that Clint Eastwood was found deceased at his home in Brentwood, bringing to an end a life that will never be forgotten and leaving behind a legacy that will live forever. The coroner reports that it appears Eastwood died of natural causes. There is no word yet on funeral arrangements.

It is not clear that Eastwood even owns a home in Brentwood. A January 2017 Variety article that detailed his properties mentioned homes in Los Angeles and Idaho, but none in Brentwood.

The US Leader article also stated that "the Orange County Sheriff" had confirmed Eastwood's passing, but Brentwood is in Los Angeles County, not Orange County.

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.

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