In May 2025, rumors abounded that comedian, actor and author Abby McEnany had died suddenly at 57 years old.
For example, the rumor appeared on Facebook (archived):
As of this writing, this post had gained 12,000 reactions and 2,500 comments. The claim further spread on X and on Facebook. It also appeared on junk news websites. Snopes readers, meanwhile, searched the site for details about this story.
The rumor also appeared at a time when fans fretted about the slow disappearance of McEnany's character, Velma Bruin, from the CBS television series "Tracker."
However, a Google search revealed no such report from any reputable source. Though the artificial-intelligence results at the top of this search indicated she may have died, the AI's sources only included unreliable Facebook posts:
(Google.com)
A search on Google News did not show any such story, either.
Lastly, McEnany's agent Gaby Cohen confirmed in an email that the rumor was false.
Celebrity death hoaxes have multiplied in recent years, and Snopes has debunked many of them over the years.