Barry Gibb has been the latest victim of a viral hoax that falsely announced his death. According to TMZ, the Bee Gees member is “healthy, happy and enjoying life” at his home in the Miami area, despite the rumors that have circulated on social media in recent hours.
The origin of the fake would have been a Facebook page titled “RIP Barry Gibb” that accumulated nearly a million interactions and shared an alleged news item detailing the musician’s death. The content, of course, was false, but many users gave it credibility and the rumor soon spread across different platforms and online forums.
It is not the first time that an international star has become the target of this type of invented news. In recent years, Justin Bieber, Morgan Freeman, Madonna and Jon Bon Jovi have also had to deny false information about their deaths that circulated like wildfire on the internet. From Spain it was up to José Luis Perales to do it.
At 79 years old, Barry Gibb remains the last living member of the classic lineup of the Bee Gees, one of the most successful groups in pop history. Maurice Gibb passed away in 2003, and Robin in 2012.
