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Celebrity

Jackie Chan alive as viral '1954-2026' death hoax sweeps social media

A bizarre online death hoax claiming action star Jackie Chan has died has gone viral, with memorial-style posts racking up millions of views. Named outlets and a community note confirm the 72-year-old actor is alive.

By Maya Lindqvist · · 2 min read

A bizarre social media hoax claiming legendary Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan has died has gone viral, prompting renewed questions about the actor’s wellbeing — but the reports are false and he is alive, Gulf News reported on Tuesday.

Posts featuring a black-and-white image of Chan alongside the dates “1954-2026” have circulated widely online, falsely suggesting the 72-year-old actor has passed away. One widely circulated post reportedly received more than 3.8 million views within five hours, while other posts amassed millions of views in under a day.

There is no credible evidence that Chan has died, Gulf News reported. The actor, whose real name is Fang Shilong, is alive and continues to make public appearances and work on upcoming projects. A community note on X identified the viral claim as a hoax, stating Chan is “alive and active at age 72”.

Chan’s most recent widely reported public appearance was in Singapore on July 7, when he made a surprise visit to Pei Chun Public School. According to Singapore’s The Straits Times, the visit was part of an event organised by the Lim Family Foundation, during which Chan interacted with more than 900 students, singing his song “Hard to Say Goodbye”. Videos and photographs from the event provide a documented public record contradicting the viral claims.

This is not the first time Chan has been falsely reported dead — similar rumours have targeted him on previous occasions. The actor, whose films include Rush Hour, Police Story and Drunken Master, has enjoyed a career spanning more than six decades.

Sources

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