Michael J. Fox’s representative has been forced to shut down a false death rumour after a new outlet accidentally published a tribute video suggesting the actor had died.
“Michael is doing great,” his rep told TMZ on 8 April. “He was at PaleyFest yesterday. He was on stage and was giving interviews.”
CNN published a video titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox” before quickly taking it down.
A spokesperson for the network confirmed the mistake, telling TMZ: “The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”
The 64-year-old had in fact been very much in the public eye the day before, attending the Shrinking season three finale screening at PaleyFest in Los Angeles on 7 April.
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and has been open about his ongoing battle with the condition, spoke to PEOPLE in October about his approach to living with it.
“You take the good, and you seize it,” he said. “I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it. I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.”
He shares four children with his wife Tracy Pollan, 65.
