DMX Death Hoax: Who Started the Twitter Trend and Why?

On Thursday, April 8, news broke on social media - specifically, Twitter and Instagram - that legendary rapper DMX had died at the age of 50 after being taken off life support. Those claims under #ripdmx hashtag, on the other hand, are completely false.

Steve Rifkind, the rapper's manager, posted on Instagram that the rapper is still alive and on life support. "Please, everybody, stop spreading these rumors," he said. "DMX is still alive and well. Yes, he is on life support, so it does no one any good to expose them to these false rumors. Allow the family to unwind for the evening."

It's not clear how the trend has started but there are at least two celebrities getting mocked on Twitter for what fans called "irresponsible" posts.

The first one was a tweet on April 7 by Claudia Jordan that said DMX had passed away. 

The Fox Soul host wrote "Rest in Paradise DMX" before quickly deleting her message.

READ ALSO: DMX Brain Dead? New Test Result Reveals Rapper in Terrible Condition

Jordan has since issued an apology in a tweet that reads, "I'm sorry."

 She also tweeted in response to a tweet implying she might have wrongly believed the media had confirmed DMX's death, saying: "I did. I deleted it. And apologized. I feel awful."

Fans, nonetheless, were outraged that the TV personality posted the message when DMX is in "grave condition" and his family is by his bedside.

American comedienne Luenell also received backlash for a post that incited rumors that DMX had already passed away earlier Thursday. "It is over, my friend is gone," she wrote in the post. "Soar. Join the best that ever did it. RIP DMX."

Naturally, the post lead people to believe that DMX, real name Earl Simmons, had passed away, leading to a number of news outlets to report that "friends of the family" had confirmed his passing.

Luenell explained in a follow-up article that DMX's body had not died, but only his soul had.

SAINT, a streetwear and culture company, then responded to Luenell's initial post with a tweet claiming DMX had died at the age of 50. The tweet went viral, causing the #ripdmx hashtag to become even more popular. SAINT then took down the tweet "out of respect for DMX and his family."

The 50-year-old rapper was hospitalized and in critical condition on April 3, following a heart attack that was followed by an apparent drug overdose.

On April 4, DMX's manager, Nakia Walker, told the New York Times that he was in a "vegetative condition." A new round of neurological testing has shown no change in DMX's condition.

The family is expected to make a statement tomorrow, according to Rifkind (April 9).

READ MORE: DMX Update: Health Condition Takes a Turn for the Worse After Overdose and Heart Attack