Legendary actor Michael J. Fox is proving that reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated… again.
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Amid recent rumors, the beloved star reassured fans with his signature humor, writing on social media, “Relax, they do this once every year.”
The 64-year-old Back to the Future icon took to Threads on April 8th to laugh off the mistaken reports of his demise, which began circulating after CNN published a tribute video titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox.”
In his post on Threads, Fox assured fans he was doing well.
“How do you react when you turn on the TV, and CNN is reporting your death?” the Teen Wolf star wrote. “Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding hot water on your lap, if it hurts your fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she’s concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, (E) Ask yourself wtf? I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me, and I’m ok. Love, Mike.”
CNN’s Video Reportedly Featured a Narrator Speaking About Michael J. Fox in the Past Tense
CNN’s tribute video, which looked back at Fox’s life and career with a narrator speaking about him in the past tense, didn’t stay up for long.
“He came into our living rooms on the small screen each week as Alex P. Keaton [on Family Ties] and eventually onto the big screen as Marty McFly in [Back to the Future],” the narrator said, per Entertainment Weekly. “But Michael J. Fox had a compelling third act as a Parkinson’s sufferer and stem cell research advocate.”
The video also noted that Fox left Spin City in 2000 after his symptoms began to affect his work. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and went public with the diagnosis in 1998.
“His most lasting role may have been as a tireless voice against Parkinson’s, a performance the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2022,” the video reportedly added. “In the end, Fox came to understand that his battle against the disease brought out the best in him.”
Meanwhile, a rep for CNN told TMZ the package “was published in error.” The spokesperson added that “we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”
While Fox acts less frequently now, he recently had a recurring role on the Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking. He played Gerry, a character who, like Fox, is living with Parkinson’s disease. Gerry was a patient of a therapist played by Harrison Ford, whose character is also dealing with the illness.