It started with a Facebook post. “At about 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday (October 14, 2025), our beloved guitarist Willie Nelson passed away…” The message, posted on a page titled R.I.P. Willie Nelson, quickly went viral—drawing close to a million likes and thousands of condolence messages from grieving fans.
But the news wasn’t real.
By Wednesday morning, Nelson’s representatives had stepped in to set the record straight: “He’s still alive and well. Stop believing what you see on the Internet.”
The 92-year-old music legend, best known for songs like Pancho and Lefty and To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before, became the latest victim of a celebrity death hoax. As messages of mourning flooded social media platforms, some fans were left heartbroken—while others questioned the authenticity of the news.
Skeptical voices pointed out that major news networks hadn’t reported anything about Nelson’s passing, calling into question the credibility of the viral Facebook claim. “If he had really died, it would’ve been on CNN or NBC by now,” one user wrote.
Despite the lack of mainstream coverage, the hoax sent shockwaves across the internet, triggering another round of online debate about fake celebrity death reports. A recent Celebrity Post poll shows 91% of respondents believe such hoaxes are no longer funny.
While some fans expressed relief upon learning the truth, others were outraged. “It’s reckless and upsetting,” one commenter said. “This kind of misinformation only causes unnecessary grief.”
For now, Willie Nelson remains very much alive—and perhaps, more famous than ever.
