Singer, songwriter, and painter, Joni Mitchell has been the latest prey to the internet death hoax. However, the “Help Me” singer is confirmed to be alive, turning the former news to be a mere rumor.
Along with a montage of other celebrities, the internet monsters have hunted down Joni Mitchel as their next catch. But this time, the news failed to stick to its allegations and the truth was unveiled within a couple of days.
On the heels of the recent buzz, several Twitter users have taken to the platform that social media was a “very cruel place” to spread such indecent and false information.
Canadian poet Lisa Ritcher pinned a tweet, “For your information, Joni Mitchell is alive. Apparently, there is a hoax going around about celebrity deaths. I almost had a shock when I first heard the news this morning. At times, the internet turns out to be a very cruel place.”
The article claiming the false death of the 75-year-old was printed in a Magazine on Oct. 7, 2022, titled, “Joi Mitchell Dies at TK Age.” Although the article was immediately removed by both magazines, it took only a couple of minutes to go viral, and literally, it was quickly noticed by the authorities, and subsequently, the actions were taken in an instant.
Rumors of the songwriter’s alleged demise garnered attention on Saturday, when a Facebook page, “R.I.P. Joni Mitchell” tracked nearly one million likes. A part of the readers easily accepted the news, whereas others were immediately skeptical, perhaps learning from the past false information regarding the death of celebrities, which may have hooked their eyeballs in the last few months.
The reporters who released the article were directly called to let them know about the consequences.
Although Magazine pulled down the article as soon as possible, it was already late and had caused the netizens to be frenzy about the situation. The singer’s supposed death made them numb for a few minutes before it turned out to be a hoax.
In reality, the piece of information which caused havoc in the hearts of millions was supposed to be a placeholder that was released earlier than planned. It is believed so because the article published had several editorial notes which should have been filled in before posting it. Since those portions were blank, it proves that the article was accidentally disclosed. Moreover, the ‘TK’ term used in the headline was actually an abbreviation for ‘to come in the journalistic language.
It is an old-age tool often preferred by journalists, publications, and writers when they are not sure specifically about dates, or other particular information, that needs to be filled out prior to its publication. TK has multiple uses, as the press mainly uses the term as a placeholder only for facts whereas, creative writers use it as a reference point to locate spots whenever they need rectification.
The Webby and Telly award-winning video producer, Chris Paukert took to Twitter to display his disappointment over the release of such an article, which has evidently played with the emotions of many.
Following the hoax report, a representative from Rhino Records was first to confirm the error caused, saying, “I can confirm that this was done in error and that all is well.’
Apparently, Rhino Records was recently involved with Joni Mitchell in a current reissue series of the singer’s catalog.
In 2015, Joni Mitchell was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, ultimately affecting her ability to walk and talk. Shortly after, she was found unconscious in her home so she had to forcefully take a break from performing for a while.
The polio survivor also had a self-diagnosed case of Morgellons disease, which is quite a controversial one according to the doctors. The disease is also known as delusion and involves skin lesions. A person identified with a particular ailment is said to have skin that is infested with bugs.
Back in 2021, Joni Mitchell revealed her health concerns after she received an honorary Lifetime Achievement Award at The Kennedy Centre. On top of that, “The Yellow Big Taxi” singer also addressed her condition at the MusicCares awards in 2022.
At the time, she seemingly mentioned herself as a “fighter”, who owes to her Irish blood. That was the reason which ostensibly gave her strength to bounce back.
Evidently, Joni Mitchell will not return to the stage anytime soon, but she is currently working with Rhino Records.
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