Alice Munro is alive: Author's death hoax was the act of an Italian journalist

Tomasso Debenedetti is a repeat offender in the industry for spreading fake news about celebrity deaths.

By ET Online | Updated: Nov 12, 2019, 12.58 PM IST

It was falsely-declared on Monday that Alice Munro had passed away.

Monday did not begin on a happy note for author Alice Munro's fans. At around 6 am in the morning, a now-suspended account on Twitter, passing off as Munro’s publishers McClelland & Stewart (@McClellandNews), declared that the Canadian had passed away at 89. And that's not where it stopped, it continued to falsely quote the Nobel laureate's daughter, Sheila Munro, further offering a word of confirmation. Thankfully for her fans, the news was a hoax.

Hours later, it was confirmed that the post was created by Italian journalist Tomasso Debenedetti, a repeat offender in the industry for spreading fake news about celebrity deaths.

On Twitter, the account was quickly shut down for violating its rules, and currently reads, "Account suspended".

Fans of the Man Booker Prize winner, including authors like Guy Gavriel Kay, who earlier expressed grief on losing the "master of the modern short story", heaved a sigh of relief when the news was declared fake. While some were spotted celebrating on not losing a legend already, others found another excuse to do a #ReUp of her best works.

To be very clear: I was among those who got caught up in sadness at the FALSE (a hoax from a man who has done this… https://t.co/WSoLHKMPjc
— Guy Gavriel Kay (@guygavrielkay) 1573484264000

The Alice Munro news is a HOAX. Official statement to come from M&S’s real Twitter handle: @McClellandBooks.
— Anita Chong (@AnitaChong9) 1573482015000

Alice Munro is apparently alive and well! In celebration, I'm off to write this snowy morning. Love to all except internet hoaxers. ��
— Kathy Fish (@kathyfish) 1573482787000

i am suing that fake account for emotional damages for briefly making me think Alice Munro died
— Brandy Jensen (@BrandyLJensen) 1573483764000

There's apparently a fake account tweeting that Alice Munro has died and the "news" is spreading fast and I'm here… https://t.co/ANVMQAO3sr
— Hillary Brenhouse (@hbrenhouse) 1573481534000

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