Michael J. Fox Death Rumors Shot Down After CNN's Massive Error Sparked Fears for Parkinson's-Stricken Star
Michael J. Fox's rep confirmed he is alive and well.
April 8 2026, Published 6:04 p.m. ET
Rumors that Michael J. Fox has died after battling Parkinson's disease for more than three decades have been debunked, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Wednesday, April 8, fears were sparked after CNN shared an article and video titled "Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox."
CNN's Major Flub
CNN mistakenly published a misleading package on Michael J. Fox's career.
The news network has since confirmed the "package was published in error" and it's been "removed" from all their platforms. The spokesperson for CNN added that they "send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family."
The Back to the Future star's rep also made it clear that the actor is just fine.
"Michael is doing great," the rep told TMZ. "He was at PaleyFest yesterday. He was on stage and was giving interviews."
When Was Michael J. Fox Diagnosed With Parkinson's?
Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the early 1990s.
Fox, 64, was diagnosed with the neurological disorder – which can cause symptoms such as severe tremors, balance problems, stiffness in the muscles and even short-term memory issues – in the early '90s. He went public with the diagnosis in 1998.
"I didn’t want to put it out there, but, given the nature of Parkinson’s, it was going to become evident sooner or later," he told People back in April 2024. "It was an amazing time because the response was great. The response was loving and supportive."
Michael J. Fox Rarely Walks Amid Health Battle
Michael J. Fox suffers from mobility issues due to Parkinson's disease.
Over the past 35 years, Fox's condition has become so intense that he barely walks due to fears he will lose his balance and injure himself.
"It's absolutely incredible the stuff I broke," he shared last year. "In a three-year period I broke my elbow, I broke my hand, I got a big infection in my hand, and I almost lost my finger."
"I take it easy now, I don't walk that much anymore," he explained. "I can walk, but it's not pretty and it's a bit dangerous."
Inside Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan's Marriage
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Michael J. Fox and wife Tracy Pollan got married in 1988.
Fox met his wife, Tracy Pollan, on the set of Family Ties in the mid 1980s when she was cast as his character's love interest.
Roughly three years later, they tied the knot and went on to welcome four children together – Sam, 36, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 30, and Esmé, 23.
Reflecting on their decades-long romance, Pollan said, "We are there for each other when we need each other, and then we also give each other space when that’s needed."
She also emphasized the importance of listening to each other.
As for Fox, he said his wife "gives our family everything that we need."
"Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her," he continued. "She showers the people she loves with love, she shows them the way she feels."
Earlier this year, while attending the 2026 Actor Awards, Fox confessed that meeting Pollan on the beloved sitcom was the "greatest gift" of his career.
Referring to their children, he quipped, "Sometimes, I like to remind them, if it weren't for acting, they wouldn't be here."
