People magazine accidentally published Kirk Douglas’ obituary on November 30.
Under the headline “DO NOT PUB Kirk Douglas Dies,” People magazine accidently posted a pre-written tribute to the actor, who turns 98 on December 9.
The post listed details about Kirk Douglas’s life and career spanning six decades, including his 1956 Vincent Van Gogh biopic Lust for Life.
The obituary, which sparked reaction on Twitter, has been since removed.
It is unclear whether the tribute, which had a date stamp of September 29, had been online for two months.
It read: “Kirk Douglas, one of the few genuine box-office names to emerge just as TV was overtaking American culture in the years right after World War II, died TK TK TK. He was 97 (DOB 12/9/1916) and had been in good health despite having suffered a debilitating 1996 stroke that rendered his speech difficult.”
It is common for media outlets to write obituaries of celebrities or important figures in advance.
In 2008, Bloomberg made a similar mistake when it reported Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had died, three years before his actual death in 2011.
