Died Suddenly

Do posts about the missing hiker "Sara Jenkins" on social media tell the true story of the discovery of that person's remains? No, that's not true: No credible media organizations reported that. Lead Stories found no court records confirming any part of the story circulating on social media platforms. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on…

Did actress Michelle Trachtenberg "Die Suddenly" at the age of 39 because of the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: Social media posts spreading the speculation offered no supporting evidence. As of February 26, 2025, no investigating officers or credible media organization reported any connection between vaccination and Trachtenberg's death. "Died Suddenly," the name on an X account posting the…

Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their New Mexico home on February 26, 2025, and people are alleging that it was an "double suicide." Here is what we know: Oscar-winner Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were all found in different locations in their home and had apparently been dead for some time.…

Has Oprah Winfrey died as of January 17, 2025, as implied by viral social media posts? No, that's not true: An article attached to a post implying that Winfrey died did not provide evidence of her supposed death nor mention anywhere in the article text that she had died. Winfrey was active on her verified social media accounts the same…

Did South African trauma surgeon Dr. Vicky Jennings die after "suffering a sudden heart attack" related to COVID-19 vaccination, as implied by social media posts? No, that's not true: Jennings' colleague and head of department told Lead Stories that he can "unequivocally confirm that her death was in no way related to vaccination." A medico-legal autopsy required by law in…

Did short selling for Trump Media "more than double" between July 1 and July 12, 2024, making the stock "plummet one day before the assassination attempt" against the company's co-founder, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The company, which owns the Truth Social platform, saw an upward trend that started on July 10, 2024 -- three days…

Did Australian law enforcement identify a Sydney mall attacker as "Benjamin Cohen"? No, that's not true: The police said that the man's name was Joel Cauchi. The claim originated from an account on X that self-identifies as aligned with a Russian state information outlet. The story reappeared in a post (saved here) on Facebook where it was published on April…

Did the Australian government recommend vaccinating patients for COVID-19 without consent, while the patient was under sedation? No, that's not true: There is no official support for such a claim. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, part of the nation's Department of Health, stated the opposite in an advice document dated April 6, 2022: "Sedation should not be used…

Did a "survey" find that COVID-19 vaccines "killed 3.5X more Americans than COVID virus"? No, that's not true: A medical professional who treats patients of long COVID told Lead Stories that the so-called survey "lacked scientific rigor" and could not be extrapolated to the broader public -- it was not scientifically sound and included methodological flaws. The claim originated in…

Does a "secret CDC report" show hundreds of thousands of children "died suddenly" in the United States following the COVID-19 vaccine rollout? No, that's not true: The author or authors of the article making the claims did not find any such report; instead, they created their own document using publicly available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data they found…