Example: [Collected via Twitter, February 2015]
I swear #RIPBeyonce better not be true or the world will end.
— (@Its_Hopeeee) February 24, 2015
On
Unlike most celebrity death hoaxes, the rumor about Beyoncé was not tied to the publication of a fake news article. Instead, it appears that boredom and a few Internet trolls were responsible for this rumor's spread:
I'm bout to get this trending... #RIPBeyonce
— Matt. (@MattMcGraiI) February 24, 2015
The Twitter account @CNNNewsFacts (which has no affiliation with CNN) then attached the #RIPBeyonce hashtag to a photograph in an effort to perpetuate the rumor that Beyoncé had passed away:
The above-displayed photo does not depict a car crash involving Beyoncé, although it does capture a celebrity fatal crash site: The image was widely circulated via Twitter shortly after the death of Fast and Furious star Paul Walker in 2013.