Chuck Norris’s family is laying down the law when it comes to “misleading information” circulating about their patriarch online.
The family posted a statement on Norris’s Instagram Stories on Wednesday, writing, “We are aware that since Chuck’s passing, there have been a number of Al-generated videos and posts circulating online that contain false and misleading information regarding the circumstances of his passing: his health history, and who was present.”
“These claims are entirely untrue,” they added.
The Norris family announced on March 20 that the martial arts legend had died at the age of 86, shortly after suffering an unspecified medical emergency on the island of Kauai. Sources told TMZ on March 19 that the star was in good spirits and was even cracking jokes at the hospital, but the family announced the news of the Walker, Texas Ranger star’s passing on Instagram the following day.
“We know many of you had heard about his recent hospitalization, and we are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way,” they wrote at the time, adding that they wanted to keep the “circumstances” of his death “private.”
Social media users and AI generators have, however, been filling in the blanks of those circumstances with made-up stories. The family wrote in their statement on Wednesday that they’d seen “fabricated reports of past medical issues, as well as false narratives surrounding family relationships,” which they implored fans “not to believe or share.”
Generated images depicting Norris’s funeral with stars, featuring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jackie Chan in attendance, have amassed thousands of likes on Facebook.
The family asked that fans refrain from circulating information “unless it comes directly from the Norris family or an official family representative.”
Norris will appear in his final film, Zombie Plane, opposite Vanilla Ice, which will be released in Australian theaters in November.
