Leslie Nielsen passes away again, according to Twitter

What have Leslie Nielsen, Tony Hart and Sherman Hemsley got in common? Answer, they both died more than once. At least according to the Internet, that is.

Despite passing in 2010, Twitter has been bombarded with condolences from users who believe the beloved comedy actor from Canada has just died. A BBC article from 2010 that covered the story seems to have gone viral again and is currently listed under the “most popular” section on the BBC website, and Leslie Nielsen was – for a while – trending on Twitter.

“Shirley you can’t be serious?” we hear you asking. Well, this is not the first time this has happened. Tony Hart – the much admired TV artist from the UK also had many belated RIP messages, and actor Sherman Hemsley – aka George Jefferson – did too.

Why this happens is very much a mystery. It is likely down to pure accident. A social media user stumbles upon an out-dated story, doesn’t notice the date and publishes it on social media, where their contacts share the story, also failing to look at the date. And from there it simply gets shared time and time again until it manages to go viral.

Remember folks, always check those publication dates of stories you share!