Google has falsely claimed that a celebrity had died – and not for the first time this week.
Rapper Bia is the second famous face to be declared dead by the search engine despite posting on her social media channels.
According to Google's knowledge graph – the snippet of information displayed at the top of the page above search results – she died on December 10 in New York.
However, the 32-year-old hip-hop star posted something on her social media accounts on December 11, a day after she reportedly met her end. Newsweek reached out to Bia via email for comment.
Eminem is seen on the left in Hollywood on January 30, 2020. Right, Bia arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on September 12, 2021 in Brooklyn, New York. Eminem and Bia are recent victims of a Wikipedia prankster.
Kurt Krieger/Corbis/Angela Weiss/Getty Images Entertainment/AFP
Still, the fake news shocked Bias' fan base, and music lovers shared their panicked reactions to X.
“BIA IS DEAD?? “What is Google doing?” asked @Minajupdates on X – the social network formerly known as Twitter – along with a screenshot of Bias Google search results.
“What the hell,” Brit said.
“On Google they said you died today sis wtf!!!,” wrote @Aye_YahYah, tagging Bia in the post, while @AllThingsNicki0 asked the star: “@BIABIA Are you okay baby???”
“Neither Eminem nor Bia dead,” Karl commented. “Anyone who actually dies, no one will believe it lmao.”
Bia performs in London, England on July 1, 2022. The rapper posted a video on TikTok to prove that she is not dead.
Burak Belt/Red Ferns
On Monday, a Google error shocked Eminem fans with the news that the rapper had died.
According to the search engine, the Grammy winner – real name Marshall Mathers III – died on December 10th in Madison, Wisconsin. However, Eminem is still alive and well, and the death rumors are a hoax.
A joker had changed the music icon's Wikipedia page, which also updated his status on Google. It appears the same technique was used to alter Bias' search results, although the significance of both rappers' “deaths” on December 10 is unknown.
Bia – real name Bianca Miquela Landrau – posted on TikTok on Monday to dispel the rumors. A short video shows the VMA nominee dancing in her car to AB Dankoo's “I'm Still Alive,” along with a screenshot of the fake Google search results.
“I'M STILL ALIVE!” She captioned the clip. “Damn me!!!!”
Fans were relieved to see that the “London” singer was still alive and breathing, with user Rafa commenting: “Thank God.”
“I was worried for a moment,” Runway wrote.
Bia also posted on
A Google representative told Newsweek that the search engine's knowledge graphs are influenced by a variety of sources on the Internet – including Wikipedia.
Google also has systems in place to detect if a source has been vandalized, but sometimes things happen that fall through the cracks. According to the spokesperson, when Google is notified of incorrect data in its Knowledge Graphs, it works quickly to correct the error.
Hoaxes and conspiracy theories about celebrity deaths are nothing new. Before the Wikipedia prank, Eminem had already experienced at least two murder hoaxes in his three-decade career.
In 2020, a Twitter user claimed he murdered the Missouri native, resulting in the Joker's account being suspended. In 2006, a bizarre conspiracy theory circulated that Eminem was killed in a car accident and replaced by an android body double. This theory arose from an article published at the time on the Spanish website La Guía Del Varón.
Other public figures who have recently addressed the death hoax include Donald Trump, Joe Rogan and Vladimir Putin.
Donald Trump speaks at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland on January 6, 2018. The former president was the subject of a murder hoax in September.
Saul Loeb/AFP
The social media accounts of Donald Trump Jr. — the former president's eldest child — were reportedly hacked in September. A fake obituary was shared on the 45-year-old's X account, claiming his father had died.
“I am sad to announce that my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024,” the post said before it was removed.
UFC expert Joe Rogan was the target of a hoax in April 2022. An X account called Joe Rogan Headquarters (@joerogannhq) claimed the 56-year-old podcaster “died peacefully at his home.”
The report promised to provide “further details regarding his family’s wishes as they become available.” However, the post was a deception, as the conservative commentator has been the subject of several murder hoaxes in recent years.
In March, mourners flocked to a fake memorial page titled “RIP Nick Cannon,” which claimed the rapper and TV host had died. He casually debunked the rumors about X.
“They’ve been trying to kill me for years!!!” joked 43-year-old Cannon. “What else do you have!?”
In October, rumors spread online that Putin had suffered cardiac arrest and died. Although there was no supporting evidence, the story was reported by several Telegram channels.
Ukrainian intelligence claimed that Russian officials deliberately spread fake rumors about Putin's death as part of Russia's misinformation “playbook” to see how the public would react.
Unusual knowledge
Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.
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