Veteran Hollywood hardman Danny Trejo has been forced to publicly deny his own death after a cruel online hoax, mistakenly amplified by fellow actor John Leguizamo, spread like wildfire across social media.
The 81-year-old 'Machete' and 'Desperado' star took to Instagram to confront the false rumours head-on, posting a video from his car to prove he is very much alive and well. "You're not going to believe this," Trejo begins in the clip, "but I just got a call that John Leguizamo is saying I died. What the hell?"
Trejo's fiery response highlighted the personal sting of the rumour, especially coming from a former colleague. "That's not even cool, man. It's disgusting," he stated, visibly annoyed. "You know what I mean? For people to put that crap on the internet... I'm calling you out, John Leguizamo."
The origin of the confusion appears to be a since-deleted post on Leguizamo's official Instagram account. The post reportedly featured a photo of Trejo with a caption that suggested the actor had passed away, sending fans into a momentary panic.
Leguizamo, 63, who starred alongside Trejo in the 1995 film 'Desperado', quickly moved to delete the post and clarify the mistake. He followed up with a new post featuring a smiling picture of Trejo, writing: "Sorry guys! It was a clickbait scam! I meant to say he killed it in the movie! He's alive and well! My bad Danny Trejo! Love you mahn!"
Despite the swift apology, Trejo's video underscores the distressing and invasive nature of online death hoaxes, which frequently target ageing celebrities. The incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly misinformation can spread, even when unintentionally shared by a trusted source.
