Since early 2024, a false rumor claiming comedian and "Family Feud" game show host Steve Harvey was dead following a "tragic accident" or car crash has persisted in numerous social media posts, YouTube videos and even paid advertising.
However, a simple check of Harvey's live weekday radio show and podcast, "The Steve Harvey Morning Show," credibly confirmed he was very much alive, as of Oct. 17, 2024. A representative for Harvey declined to comment on the matter.
As we previously reported, death hoax purveyors have historically targeted Harvey several times. He responded (archived) to one of the hoaxes in July 2023 by posting a photo of himself looking at his phone, along with the caption, "Me seeing that Rip Harvey is trending."
Facebook Users Posted the Rumor
As an example of the rumor, on Oct. 17, one Facebook user posted of Harvey, "Breaking news Steve passed on in a car accident yesterday R.I.P."
In a separate post from Oct. 9, a user posted, "So Steve Harvey was in a car accident but has survived so far. Why do people lie about him passing away?"
A different user also posted on Oct. 9, "I pray Steve Harvey survives this accident. He's such a sweet soul to always behold on TV." The same person also added in a comment, "Yeah, there's a rumor that he's dead and many said he's in a critical condition. I pray he survives! The accident happened last night."
Other users in a Facebook group named Steve Harvey Fans posted a story about an unnamed "icon" dying. The picture featured in the posts originated from a December 2023 video showing the aftermath of a car crash in Los Angeles.
Snopes found no evidence Harvey was in such a crash around the time of these posts, let alone that died as a result of it.
Misleading YouTube Videos
On YouTube, users promoted the false Harvey rumor with misleading videos featuring clickbait-focused titles and thumbnail images.
For example, one video uploaded on Oct. 6 displayed the title, "Devastating News... In a Tragic Accident Yesterday Night, Steve Harvey Passed Away..." The thumbnail image showed a picture of Harvey superimposed on top of a photo of a car accident. The image also displayed a small picture of people carrying a casket.
A YouTube user created this misleading thumbnail image.
Other YouTube videos from earlier in the year also promoted the false rumor Harvey died, including some mentioning the purported "tragic accident."
Harvey Death Hoax Promoted in Facebook Ads
A search of Meta's ad library found that the company accepted money from advertisers for the promotion of death hoaxes about Harvey for months in 2024, going as far back as at least March. The tech giant regularly reports quarterly revenue numbers in the tens of billions.
Ads displayed in October on Meta's platforms Facebook, Instagram and Messenger all read, "Steve Harvey Dead? 'Family Feud' Fans React To Host's Death Trending!"
The ads directed users to download news aggregator mobile apps from the Google Play Store named News Today, Daily News: Local & Alerts and Local News: Breaking & Latest. All three apps displayed thousands of positive reviews and millions of downloads. According to the apps' brand information, they were created by people or companies based in China. Meanwhile, the Facebook pages running the ads displayed page manager information for users based in China, Brazil and the U.S.
We contacted Meta for comment, asking if the ads violated any of their policies and, if so, how they slipped past the company's detection. We will update this story if we receive a response.