

Fans experienced a wave of shock followed by relief this week, as two very different celebrity news stories collided online. Funk pioneer Sly Stone passed away at 82, while longstanding rumors of Sylvester Stallone’s death resurfaced, leading to a moment of collective confusion on social media.
Sly Stone, the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, officially died on June 9 after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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His death was confirmed by family, marking the end of a chapter for a musician who reshaped funk, soul, and rock in the late 1960s and 1970s. In contrast, news of Stallone’s demise turned out to be another echo of a decades-old online hoax.
How the mix-up happened
On one side, reputable outlets including The New York Times and the Washington Post confirmed that Sly Stone had died. One article highlighted the moment his wife, daughters, and close friend surrounded him as he passed away from COPD complications.
The piece noted Stone’s pioneering efforts: creating racially and gender-integrated music, crafting hits like “Everyday People” and “Family Affair,” and influencing countless artists in his wake. His death reverberated through music communities with tributes to his trailblazing legacy.
Meanwhile, Stallone’ssupposed death was nothing more than an internet ghost. The rumors originated from old hoaxes that periodically pop up online. As early as 2016 and again in recent months, social media users republished false claims of his death-mistaking misinterpreted posts or old memes as genuine obituaries.
Despite having repeatedly debunked the rumors, fans still shared messages expressing condolences, unaware it was another recycled joke.
An emotional rollercoaster for fans
For followers of funk and classic rock, Sly Stone’s passing was a moment of mourning and reflection. Articles praised him as a “revolutionary musician,” applauded for his vibrant music, and credited for bringing soul, psychedelic rock, and funk to a generation.
His band, known for breaking racial and gender barriers in music, inspired artists from Prince to Parliament-Funkadelic. A New York Times feature remembered Stone as “a musical visionary,” who remained ahead of his time even as his life took darker turns in the 1970s amid addiction and seclusion.
In stark contrast, Stallone’s death rumors produced confusion and then relief. A flurry of “RIP” messages spread across platforms, only to be contradicted by clear evidence – like recent Instagram posts and confirmed activity. At its heart, this demonstrates how online misinformation can reignite years-old rumors, catching some fans off guard.
A deeper look shows why these two stories overlapped in the digital space. Social media’s quick-moving chatter, paired with general uncertainty around celebrity health, meant that many users saw headlines about two “Sylvesters” and assumed the worst. Instead, the net result was a potent mix of genuine loss and cyber misinformation.
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