Fact Check

Guns N' Roses Frontman Axl Rose Found Dead in West Hollywood Home at Age 52

Was Axl Rose found dead in his West Hollywood home?

David Mikkelson

Published Dec. 3, 2014

Claim:

Claim:   Singer Axl Rose was found dead in his West Hollywood home.

FALSE

Example:   [Collected via email, December 2014]


MSNBC is reporting that Axl Rose was found dead at his home. Police were called in as a welfare check on Tuesday. Unconfirmed as of now. Rumor? Hoax? Truth?

 

Origins:   On 2 December 2014, MSNBC.website (not MSNBC.com) posted an article titled "Guns N' Roses Frontman Axl Rose Found Dead in West Hollywood Home at Age 52." The site claimed Rose had been found dead in his home, but that the singer's demise had not yet been confirmed:



A neighbor has confirmed the residence belongs to Rose but police have not confirmed the man's identity at this time.

"The home was entered by police through an open back door where a body was found in the foyer area. We have found no signs of abuse or foul-play and have turned the case over to the coroner's office to make a final ruling on the cause of death," said Ofc. William Tenpenny, a Hollywood Police spokesperson.


However, no reports subsequently emerged to validate the claims made in the article. More tellingly, MSNBC.website has propagated similar hoaxes in the past. Previously, the site (which relies in part on the mistaken assumption by visitors that it is a legitimate part of the MSNBC brand) claimed Macaulay Culkin had died (he hadn't) and the Curiosity Rover found a fish fossil on the Martian surface (it didn't).

Last updated:   3 December 2014

By David Mikkelson

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

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