OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:15 PM – Friday, April 10, 2026
CNN faced more mockery this week after mistakenly publishing a draft obituary that prematurely declared “Back to the Future” star Michael J. Fox dead — prompting a pointed joke from the beloved actor himself. Despite the mishap, Fox is alive and well.
The confusion began late on Wednesday, when a video and accompanying article titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox” appeared on CNN’s digital platforms.
Though it is common practice for major news organizations to prepare obituaries for public figures in advance, the segment was erroneously set live, sparking immediate panic among fans and sending social media into a whirlwind of speculation about the 64-year-old’s well-being.
Fox wasted no time in dispelling the rumors, taking to his verified Threads account on Thursday to address the fake “news” with a dose of self-deprecating humor. In a post that quickly went viral, he asked his followers how one should react to seeing their own death reported on national television and online.
He also offered a satirical multiple-choice poll that included options like switching to far-left outlet MSNBC, pouring scalding water on his lap to check for sensation, or calling his wife, Tracy Pollan, in hopes she would be “concerned but reassuring.”
Fox capped off the post by admitting he initially thought the world was ending, only to realize “it’s just me and I’m okay.”
The actor’s representative further solidified the “proof of life” by confirming to media outlets that Fox is “doing great” and remains highly active. In fact, just twenty-four hours before the accidental report, Fox had been in high spirits at PaleyFest in Los Angeles, participating in a panel for the third season of the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.”
In the show, Fox guest stars as a friend of Harrison Ford’s character, a role that mirrors his real-life journey with Parkinson’s disease. His appearance at the event, where he was seen giving interviews and laughing with co-stars, served as a contrast to the somber tone of the mistaken CNN broadcast.
For its part, CNN moved quickly to scrub the content from its website and social media channels. A spokesperson for the network then issued a formal apology to Fox and his family, describing the incident as a technical oversight where a pre-prepared media package was “published in error.”
“The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement.
While the mistake caused a temporary scare, the outpouring of support from the public served as a testament to Fox’s enduring legacy.
In 1991, at just 29-years-old, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Nonetheless, he has transitioned from a quintessential leading man on the big screen — into a global advocate for medical research, and as his recent response suggests — he has no intention of letting a fake headline slow his momentum.
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