Michael J. Fox is alive and 'OK,' speaks out after death concerns

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYThu, April 9, 2026 at 12:42 PM UTC

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Michael J. Fox is alive and well.

The "Back to the Future" star, 64, took to Threads on April 8 to laugh off a mistaken report of his demise. Earlier, fans were concerned the star had died after CNN published a tribute video titled "Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox."

In a Threads post, Fox assured fans he is doing OK.

"How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death?" he wrote. "Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding hot water on your lap, if it hurts your fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she's concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, (E) Ask yourself wtf ? I thought the world was ending, but apparently it's just me and I'm ok. Love, Mike."

Michael J. Fox speaks onstage at the 92NY on Oct. 13, 2025, in New York City.

USA TODAY has reached out to CNN for comment. A spokesperson for the network told Entertainment Weekly the Fox package "was published in error," adding that "we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family." According to Entertainment Weekly, the CNN video looked back at Fox's life and career and featured a narrator speaking about him in the past tense.

Michael J. Fox says life is 'so much better than it could be' in new interview

Major news outlets typically prepare obituaries in advance of a high-profile person's death, which are often not used for many years, and on occasion, they can be mistakenly published prematurely. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.

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Fox has been active recently, having just made a rare public appearance at PaleyFest in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 7. He joined the cast of the Apple TV show "Shrinking" and shared a hug with costar Harrison Ford on stage. Fox had a guest role as a Parkinson's patient in the third season of the dramedy show, in which Ford's character suffers from the disease.

How Michael J. Fox avoided 'easy cop-out' with 'Shrinking' role

Fox is also coming off the publication of his latest book "Future Boy" in October 2025. The book was a look back at the making of "Back to the Future," focusing on the chaotic process of going back and forth between the set of the movie and "Family Ties," which he was filming at the same time.

Michael J. Fox is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden at the White House on Jan. 4, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Speaking to USA TODAY about the book last year, Fox said he chooses to "be grateful for everything."

"I tend to live on the edge of my energy," he said. "I just feel I have to. It's a tradeoff. I want to be around for everything. I want to be active at everything, keep working, keep my partnerships going, my good friends, and enjoy my time with my family. And it's all good; it's so much better than it could be."

Fox got reflective about his mortality in an interview The Sunday Times in October, saying that there is "no timeline" to his Parkinson's and that he hopes his death will be peaceful. "There are not many people who have had Parkinson's for 35 years," he said. "I'd like to just not wake up one day. That'd be really cool. I don't want it to be dramatic. I don't want to trip over furniture, smash my head."

Contributing: Erin Jensen

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael J. Fox CNN video sparks concerns, but actor is still alive

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