Star Trek legend William Shatner, 95, has given fans an update after recent reports surfaced online claiming he was suffering from cancer. Posting an image of one of the stories, which announced it as "breaking news", he explained he held out until April 2 to speak out because he didn't want people to think he was pulling an April Fool's gag the day before.
Captioning the image, he penned: "I wanted to put this out yesterday but given the day and the possibility that it would look like a joke I waited for today. There is a page on @facebook that is using AI to create horrible fake news stories about me. The page is by The Beanstalk Functions Group which is allegedly an Event Planner in South Africa," he wrote, including a link to their Facebook page. "They have created stories that say I have stage 4 brain cancer, was in some kind of fight with Erika Kirk and that I’m dying. All their stories are monetized. Most of the stories use an AI image of me. Facebook Support will not remove the page," he explained.
He continued: "Each story is accompanied by a website link in the post that is hosted on Next.js where some of you may have seen my post to the CEO of that company on X asking him to remove these fake stories.
"None of these stories are true but they apparently seem genuine enough for fans to repost them across social media and send messages of support to me and my family all while the culprits behind the account make money.
"This is the downside of AI and yellow journalism. While it can be a wonderful tool in the right hands; it can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands," he fumed.
He was rushed to hospital in September after he experienced a sudden issue with his blood sugar levels.
Emergency responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived after Shatner called for help. Medical personnel rushed him via ambulance to a local hospital, where he underwent evaluation.
Shatner achieved Hollywood stardom thanks to his role in the groundbreaking Star Trek television series, which premiered in 1966. He played the Starship Enterprise's beloved Captain Kirk until the show ended in 1969. He went on to reprise the role in the animated series and the first seven films, including The Wrath of Khan.
The iconic cast also featured Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy, James Doohan as Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott and Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura.
