Celebrity death hoaxes are nearly as old as the internet, and they leave no one unscathed. In this case, it’s Justin Campbell (perhaps most recognizable as the “Jake from State Farm” actor.
But he isn’t dead. This particular celebrity death hoax was started by satire site Huzlers.com, which falsely reported that the actor was found dead in his apartment, apparently murdered by his wife after he cheated on her:
Jake From State Farm first appeared in a television advertisement for State Farm a few years ago, and has since been the center of many internet jokes and memes. The basic name structure of Jake From State Farm has been copied for other internet memes including ‘Alex From Target’ and ‘Daquan From Staples’.
Jake From State Farm was murdered by his own wife for allegedly cheating on her. Very Ironic, considering that the original Jake From State Farm commercial was about being unfaithful. According to State Farm, Jake would be a good neighbor to all of his clients, but when he needed help, nobody was there for him. Jake’s wife was arrested a few hours following the murder. “A true hero” quoted State Farm.
Reports of the actor-turned-meme’s death swept the online world and the false report was shared nearly thousands of times, but Huzlers has a disclaimer at the bottom of every page:
Huzlers is the most infamous fauxtire & satire entertainment website in the world. If it’s trending on social media you’ll find it here!
EmpireNews.net also reported that Campbell was murdered in his Los Angeles home by a jealous wife.
Again, Empire News is not a trustworthy site that bears a disclaimer saying its content is for entertainment purposes only.
This death hoax reappears every year or so, but it remains untrue.