A mistaken report from CNN briefly sparked confusion online after it appeared to suggest that beloved film and television star Michael J. Fox had died at age 64. The network accidentally published a tribute-style article and video titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox,” which led many readers to assume the Back to the Future and Family Ties actor had passed away.
Fox’s representative quickly shut down the rumors on Wednesday, confirming that the actor is very much alive and doing well. “Michael is doing great,” the rep told TMZ, noting that he had just appeared at PaleyFest the previous day. According to the spokesperson, Fox was on stage, participating in interviews, and interacting with fans without issue.
The confusion began when CNN posted the tribute package, which reflected on Fox’s career and narrated his life story in the past tense — a format typically used for obituaries. Although the piece was removed shortly after publication, some viewers had already seen it, causing alarm across social media. A CNN spokesperson later acknowledged the mistake, explaining that the segment had been uploaded unintentionally. “The package was published in error,” the network said in a statement, adding that it had been taken down and offering apologies to Fox and his family.
Adding to the irony, Fox had just made a surprise appearance at PaleyFest LA, where he joined the cast and creators of the Apple TV+ series Shrinking. He stepped onstage alongside showrunner Bill Lawrence, co-creator and star Jason Segel, and fellow cast members including Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Christa Miller, Lukita Maxwell, and Ted McGinley. His unexpected entrance drew loud applause from both the audience and his colleagues.
During the discussion, Lawrence asked Fox whether he would consider returning for a fourth season of Shrinking. The actor enthusiastically accepted. “I would love to do it; it would be my honor,” he replied, confirming his willingness to continue the role.
Fox has spent decades living with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s. He publicly revealed the diagnosis in 1998 and later founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000. The organization has since raised more than $2 billion for research. He also documented his journey in the 2023 film Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.
Throughout his career, Fox has occasionally portrayed characters with Parkinson’s-like symptoms, including the calculating defense attorney Louis Canning on The Good Wife. More recently, he appeared in Shrinking as Gary, a character also living with Parkinson’s, opposite Ford’s Dr. Paul Rhoades, who shares the same diagnosis in the storyline.
The role marked Fox’s return after a self-imposed five-year hiatus that followed his 2020 retirement announcement. At the time, he said he might return if the right opportunity arose — and Shrinking proved to be exactly that. Despite the brief panic caused by the mistaken report, Fox’s recent appearances make one thing clear: he’s still active, engaged, and continuing to inspire audiences.
