On Thursday, the Internet was full of condolences and tributes for Rue McClanahan, who was best known for playing Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. But there’s just one problem with that: McClanahan died five years ago.
In a day where the deaths of Christopher Lee, Ornette Coleman, and Dusty Rhodes made headlines, some people mourned the loss of McClanahan as well. A CBS News obituary from 2010 started to go viral as people shared their grief without checking the date of the article.
One of a kind..May she rest in peace.Rue McClanahan, One of the “Golden Girls” Stars, Dies at 76 http://t.co/I1h78jk8zq
— Sarah Dash (@SarahDash) June 11, 2015
Blanche from Golden Girls died! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIOOOOO!!!!! 😩😔😕😖😟😐😠😢😨😮😭 RIP RUE McCLANAHAN AKA BLANCHE!
— str8outtalocash (@bretheplaymaker) June 11, 2015
For the record, McClanahan died June 3, 2010 at the age of 76 after having a stroke. But this isn’t the first time someone mistook her obituary as being more recent. The same thing happened this time last year—with the same CBS obituary, too.
Meanwhile, those who didn’t fall for the hoax are rubbing it in gullible Golden Girls fans’ faces.
https://twitter.com/BurritoDiaries/status/609335564114853888
Someone on FB “really upset” at the death of Rue McClanahan of the Golden Girls. Hope they were that upset in 2010, when she actually died.
— John Murphy (@John_murphy1) June 11, 2015
Hey people Rue McClanahan aka Blanche Devereaux died in 2010 stop posting that article on fb all shocked “OMG I loved her RIP” You’re late
— Rent’em Spoons (@Taa_stee) June 11, 2015
Let’s not make this an annual thing, shall we?
https://twitter.com/MrWordsWorth/status/609320580211277824
