Morgan Freeman is dead, according to rumors spreading online following Nelson Mandela’s death along with RIP messages.
Morgan Freeman, a famous actor, is not dead, though.
The confusion appears to stem from the fact that Freeman resembles Mandela, the former South African president.
“R.I.P. Nelson Mandela,” one Twitter user posted, with a picture of Freeman.
People were also posting “Morgan Freeman is dead” messages on Facebook and Twitter.
“The amount of braindead people that think Morgan Freeman is dead is scary,” said one Twitter user.
“We all need to take time and realize how impactful Mandela was, and at the same time be thankful that Morgan Freeman is not dead,” said another.
Morgan Freeman himself wrote a piece that was published on Time shortly after Mandela’s death in which he recalled how he got to play Mandela in the film “Invictus.”
“He dedicated his life to a singular cause, a quest to free the black population of his homeland,” wrote Freeman. “In accomplishing that, he freed South Africa’s white population and freed an entire nation. And in freeing a nation, he changed the entire world.
“We have lost one of the true giants of the past century. But in our loss is the realization that thanks to him, we have all gained something. For in bringing down the evil of apartheid, Mandela raised us up; his wisdom, patience, compassion and insistence on reconciliation make us aspire to be better people. In his determination to break from the chains of the past, he allowed us all to join him as the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls.
“Madiba’s journey may be over, but his legacy lives on in all of us.”
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Nelson Mandela Dead: Former S. African Leader, ‘Madiba,’ Dies at 95
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