Fake news account reports that Star Wars actor Mark Hamill is dead (he’s not)

A fake news account on Twitter announced the apparent death of Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, much to the still-living Hamill’s amusement.

Have you seen a report on the internet today that Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill is dead? Don’t worry, it’s fake.

Earlier on Friday, an apparently fake news account on Twitter called HuffPo GlobalPol reported that Hamill was dead. Later, Hamill himself, who is very much alive, retweeted the announcement with the following caption: “MUCH OF NATION MOURNS-RIP @HamillHimself a wonderful-underrated & beloved icon- Truly a legend in his own mind #SoGladIGotToMeetHim #KindaSad.”

Sometime Friday afternoon, Twitter suspended the HuffPo GlobalPol account. But you can still see the original death announcement thanks to a screenshot Hamill took and tweeted out.

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Hamill turned this whole sticky situation into a joke with his good-natured response. But really, the original tweet was a sick move on the part of the HuffPo GlobalPol moderators. The death of any person, celebrity or not, is no laughing matter. Furthermore, the decision to issue a fake report of Hamill’s death is particularly insensitive considering Carrie Fisher’s very real passing in December 2016. I’m glad the account has been suspended. Hopefully, Twitter or the account’s original moderators will remove it altogether.

Today just goes to show: You can’t believe everything you read on the internet!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (starring a living, breathing Mark Hamill) premieres in theaters on December 15, 2017.