Fiction

Tens of thousands of people want to know if actress Betty White is really dead this morning as engines are brimming with queries about her life, including her six Emmy Awards and roles on sitcoms such as "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." For White fans, thankfully this is a rumor. White, 88, is alive.

If you're wondering how so many people came to think White might be dead, perhaps the blame goes to NBC News reporter Michael Okwu. During a report yesterday morning at Forest Lawn Cemetery on the "Today Show," Okwu told viewers White was one of the celebrities already buried there. "Today" host Meredith Vieira quickly corrected him. Seems many viewers either missed Viera's correction or people got fuzzy on the details overnight and are turning to the Internet this morning for answers. As for Okwu, maybe he meant to say actress Bette Davis was buried at Forest Lawn.

Or maybe it wasn't Okwu who sparked the searches, but rather an OhNoTheyDidn't discussion board that had a faked TMZ article about White's death and an investigation. The site has since retracted the post. The Cutting Room Floor blog is on the case.

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