'Is Jackie Chan alive?': Bizarre death hoax about legendary Chinese actor fact-checked

Viral social media posts claim Jackie Chan has died, but it's a hoax. The 72-year-old actor is alive and well. But false "1954-2026" images spread rapidly.

Social media has suddenly been hit with a series of posts that claim that Chinese actor Jackie Chan has passed away. The posts are a hoax, and the 72-year-old actor is alive.

Martial artist and filmmaker, Jackie Chan. (File Photo)

Chan, whose real name is Fang Shilong, enjoys global popularity, making him bigger than any one country's industry. As a result, the viral claims about Jackie Chan's death spread like wildfire in the last 24 hours.

The actor, who is worth over $400 million in 2026, lives primarily in Hong Kong, where he has converted a factory warehouse in Kowloon Tong residential neighborhood into a home with hidden rooms and secret doors.

Jackie Chan last appeared in public in July 2026 in Singapore. He showed up for a surprise visit at the Pei Chun Public School and surprised the students and staff by singing his song, Hard to Say Goodbye.

How The Viral Posts About Jackie Chain's Death Spread

Posts started circulating on social media, particularly in the United States, claiming that Jackie Chan has passed away. A black-and-white photo of the actor, with the text "Jackie Chan" followed by "1954-2026," began circulating.

The posts picked up millions of views worldwide. For instance, this post from a user named Abdul has gotten over 3.8 million views within just five hours.

Here's the post:

However, as mentioned before, HT.com can confirm that Jackie Chan has not passed away. He is very much alive and involved in ongoing projects.

Revisiting Jackie Chan's Last Public Appearance In Singapore

Jackie Chan's last public appearance was on July 7 this year in Singapore, the country's largest daily, The Straits Times reported. Chan turned up at the Pei Chun Public School for a surprise visit organized by the Lim Family Foundation.

The report states that the actor interacted with over 900 students during the visit. He also sang the song Hard To Say Goodbye, a video shared from the event showed.

“Looking at you today made me remember my childhood years and humble beginnings," Chan had said at the event. "I had no hope. My only hope was my bowl of plain rice and to not be beaten by my teacher.”

“Please work hard. Dreams may not come true but, without dreams, you definitely won’t succeed,” he added.