Did actor Tom Selleck die and were the Magnum, P.I. star's final words 'Help Trump To Help America'? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to educate gullible Trump supporters and Republicans about the need to actually click and read links before sharing or liking them in order to avoid being embarrassed by fans of the site later. All the events described in the article are not real.
The story originated from an article published on February 12, 2019 titled "'Magnum P.I.' Star's Final Words : 'Help Trump To Help America'" (archived here) which opened:
It was a sad morning in Hollywood's exclusive Batt Estates neighborhood as beloved actor, father, and Trump-supporting patriot Tom Selleck ended his long battle with Pokicardial Disaphasia, a rare and deadly condition causing the male nipples to inflame and expand until they become so large that the pressure on the heart and ribcage becomes overwhelming. Selleck was 74 years old.
Selleck had a long and storied career, peaking as the title character in television's "Magnum P.I.", and branching out to the silver screen. Wise casting choices led him to turn down the role of "Indiana Jones", and to focus instead on the wildly popular "Quigly Down Under" franchise, as well as headlining as some cop guy in the blockbuster hit film "Runaway".
Users on social media only saw this title, description and thumbnail:
'Magnum P.I.' Star's Final Words : 'Help Trump To Help America'
It was a sad morning in Hollywood's exclusive Batt Estates neighborhood as beloved actor, father, and Trump-supporting patriot Tom Selleck ended his long battle with Pokicardial Disaphasia, a...
There are several big hints the story is false. To begin with, it was posted under the category "Not quite dead even by satirical standards". Secondly Selleck was born January 1945, not September, and his middle name is "William", not "Fenton". Also the "Batt Estates" don't exist, not in Hollywood nor anywhere else. There is also no known medical condition named "Pokicardial Disaphasia". Selleck did star in "Runaway" and in "Quigley Down Under" (notice the slightly different spelling).
Selleck is also not a Trump supporter: he wrote in a candidate during the last election:
Tom Selleck wrote in former Dallas police chief for president
Tom Selleck may play a police commissioner on CBS's "Blue Bloods," but his appreciation for courage under pressure doesn't end on the small screen.
There is also the huge satire disclaimer at the bottom of the page if you still needed it after all that:
sat·ire ~ˈsaˌtī(ə)r
noun
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, OR ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
If you disagree with the definition of satire or have decided it is synonymous with "comedy," you should really just move along.
NewsGuard, a company that uses trained journalist to rank the reliability of websites, describes conservativetears.com as:
A hoax website that publishes false stories about celebrity deaths.
According to NewsGuard the site does not maintain basic standards of accuracy and accountability. Read their full assessment here.
We wrote about conservativetears.com before, here are our most recent articles that mention the site:
- Fake News: Bill Murray NOT Dead at 81
- Fake News: Rock Icon Mick Jagger NOT Dead, Did NOT Leave Billions For Border Wall
- Fake News: Henry Winkler NOT Dead at 77 - NOT A Huge Trump Supporter and Lifelong Gun Lover
- Fake News: Dolly Parton, Country Music and Film Star, NOT Deceased
- Fake News: William Shatner NOT Dead, Final Thoughts NOT of Leonard Nimoy and President Trump
