Cher Not Dead: Singer Is Latest Victim Of Twitter Hoax

Cher is not dead. The Californian singer became the latest victim of a Twitter hoax, when RIP Cher began trending worldwide on Twitter late on Thursday (26 January 2012). The trending topic whipped the micro-blogging site into frenzy, with reality star Kim Kardashian tweeting, "Did I just hear Cher has passed away? Is this real? OMG".

Millionaire Matchmaker star Patti Stanger was also duped by the hoax, asking followers, "Is this for real? I don't see it anywhere". A frantic Kardashian later tweeted to followers, "I hope this is a twitter joke and not true. I don't see it on the news anywhere. I'm praying its not true". It appears that the RIP Cher trend began when one user going by the name of Lorraine_Star re-tweeted a fake CNN news story that read, "American recording artist Cher dies at 65 years old. Found dead in Malibu home". However, Kardashian, Stanger, and thousands of worried Cher fans eventually breathed a collective sigh of relief when the singer's close friend, the jewellery designer Loree Rodkin, tweeted, "It's a hoax. She's fine". The 65-year-old is the latest victim of a fake Twitter death hoax. Last year, Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner had to take to the site to dispel rumors he had passed away, and Charlie Sheen was also reported to have died.

Cher, who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, returned to the stage in 2008 to begin a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in a show named 'Cher at the Coliseum'. She finally completed the mammoth run in February 2011.