Serena Williams death hoax spreads on social media

Tennis star Serena Williams isn’t dead, but a recent online hoax claimed otherwise. 

"JUST IN," one Sept. 23 Facebook post, among others, breathlessly said. "‘FAREWELL TO A TENNIS LEGENDS’: Serena Williams reportedly passes away following tragic car crash in Texas. Reports have surfaced this morning that the 23-time Grand Slam champion has tragically passed away following a deadly car crash in Texas. Details surrounding the crash remain scarce, but early reports indicate that Williams was involved in a severe accident that occurred earlier this morning. Emergency responders were called to the scene, but despite their efforts, the tennis legend succumbed to her injuries." 

The posts featured images of Williams and an aerial shot of a crash scene. 

They were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

The aerial collision shot comes from news coverage of a five-car wreck in October 2023 in Georgia. Williams wasn’t mentioned, and we looked for, but found no, other evidence that she was involved in that crash. 

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C-SPAN captions for a JD Vance speech said, “Single person clapping.”

We also found no reporting or other credible sources to corroborate the claim she was involved in a Texas collision. 

More importantly: She’s alive. 

In the days after her supposed death, Williams posted on Instagram a video of herself playing with her youngest daughter, photos posing with horses and a marketing video for Gatorade.

We rate claims she died in a Texas car crash Pants on Fire!