Is Kurt Russell’s face being devoured by flesh-eating bacteria?

Kurt Russell has been so iconic for so long that we might actually be taking him for granted. The actor has been a staple since the 1960s, and has effectively dominated every era of Hollywood since.

Russell did a film with Elvis Presley, then played Elvis in a TV miniseries. He was the muse of iconic horror director John Carpenter during the 1980s, and the mysterious Mr. Nobody in the Fast and Furious saga. He can do it all, which is what made the recent internet claims about him so unnerving.

Kurt Russell was the focus of a recent death hoax, so we’re here to set the record straight on his status (yes, alive) and the current state of his health as he nears his mid-70s.

Kurt Russell fell victim to a death hoax in 2023

Kurt Russell is alive. He’s 73 years old, and still going strong alongside partner Goldie Hawn. The death hoax that surfaced in August 2023, however, claimed that the actor died under mysterious circumstances. There was mention of the “scene of the accident” and an “investigation” into Russell’s death, though the YouTube video that started the hoax did not provide details. As with most online hoaxes, the lack of specificity was a tell tale sign.

According to Yahoo, the viral YouTube video used AI narration to refer to Kurt Russell as a “late actor,” which is where all the confusion started. Fortunately, the video and the linked to it have been taken down. Kurt Russell is arguably one of the worst actors to stage a death hoax for, however, given how often he works.

In the year since the hoax materialized, Russell has had a starring role in the Max science fiction series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. He also signed on to voice Papa Smurf in the family film, The Smurfs Movie, and will co-star alongside Matthew McConaughey in the crime drama The Rivals of Amziah King. If he were dead, fans would know it.

Does Kurt Russell have Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome?

Bizarrely, fake articles have continued to swirl online about Kurt Russell in 2024. In July, an article claimed that the actor was hospitalized and in serious condition following an unforeseen health scare. No information as to where he’s staying, or what his current status is. No legitimate sources, either. Other articles have gone as far as to claim that Russell is suffering from Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS).

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is an autosomal genetic disorder that’s characterized by benign tumors forming on the mouth and face. An unfounded article from the website New Idea (not a suspiciously vague title at all) claimed that Russell’s face was being “attacked” by flesh-eating bacteria. Once again, not true, and the actor does not even suffer from PJS to begin with.

As far as the public is concerned, Kurt Russell is healthy until he says otherwise.