Jobe London, whose real name is Thabang Thanyane, fell victim to a death hoax after he was rumored to have been sick for a long while. He was, however, quick to set the record straight about his well-being, reassuring his fans that he is not only alive but hale and hearty.
It was purported by some social media users that the Amapiano star was battling cancer after a video where he was seen looking very skinny while performing on stage went viral. In recent years, many celebrities have been victims of death hoaxes. While many have laughed off the rumor, some have taken it quite seriously.
Jobe London is one of those who didn’t take the death rumor lightly, as he threatened to take legal action against those spreading such malicious rumors about him.
What Happened to Jobe London?
In late August 2021, a Facebook user declared that Jobe London had passed on in a post. Within some hours, the post went viral. While many seemed to argue about the authenticity of the news, others began to flood the music star’s Facebook timeline with condolence messages. Some of his fans even went to his Twitter timeline to pay tribute to him.
Before Jobe London’s death rumor started spreading like wildfire, it was first speculated that the music artist had been sick for a while. He was even said to have been in a sick bed and was battling cancer. Jobe was seen to have lost some weight in a viral video where he was performing at an event. As a result, some social media users concluded that Thabang Thanyane must have been diagnosed with cancer.
At the same time Jobe London was rumored to be dead, his colleague in the music industry, Zola 7, also fell victim to a death hoax. Unlike the “Elon Musk” singer, Zola just laughed off the rumor. Jobe, on the other hand, decided to get his lawyers involved.
Is Jobe London Dead?
Jobe London is not dead, he is very much alive. He took to Twitter to debunk the death rumor with a series of posts. He also had to set the record straight on Facebook, where the rumor started. On August 26, 2022, London called out those spreading death rumors about him for being so insensitive.
YOLL ARE SO INSENSITIVE BRUH 😓
— Jobe (@JobeLondon) August 26, 2021
Though he had been silent on social media following the passing of his teammate, Killer Kau, the uprising artist was forced to make a comeback to social media to prove the rumor wrong and also convince people that he is still alive and kicking. He refuted the speculations of his having health problems by releasing a statement through his lawyers.
The statement read that claims had been made by Jobe in the effect of false rumors declaring an unknown sickness about him. And the rumor became a cause of concern to his legal representatives as it caused harm and prejudice to the character, personality, and psychological well-being of the music artist. As a result, they implored the public to apply clarity and discretion before expressing any false commentary.
STOP IT!!!
— Jobe (@JobeLondon) August 26, 2021
His legal representative also stated that although the country’s Constitution provides for numerous freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression, it should be duly known that such freedoms ought to be limited to the extent that they may not result in inflicting harm or damage to someone else’s character or personality.
The statement ended by citing that Jobe London had made his intention clear to his attorneys to ensure legal actions against any individual or entity that will lodge defamatory comments about him in the future. He is being represented by Azania Legal Advisory and Consultancy, which partners with Ditabe and Wagner Attorneys.
Was Jobe London Ill?
Jobe London revealed to Daily Sun that he had tuberculosis in early 2021 and was sick at that time. He said that the video which trended on social media, where he seemed to have lost weight, was actually taken when he was struggling with TB. He asserted that he has fully recovered and feels better.
While the video was making rounds on social media, some naysayers went to the extent of saying that the amapiano artist had HIV/AIDs, with others claiming that he had cancer. Although the alarm about Jobe London’s health might have been raised first by a concerned fan, the channel used was wrong as the story was eventually taken out of context on social media. It then resulted in defamatory comments and the spreading of hurtful rumors.
What’s the Amapiano Artist Doing Now?
After reprimanding tweeps for their insensitivity, Jobe London moved on to reveal that he had been working on a project in collaboration with his late friend and fellow Amapiano artist, Killer Kau. He stated that the collaborative Extended Play titled ‘Killer London’ would be released in October 2021.
The ‘Sukenleleni’ hitmaker further released a new song titled ‘Otsotsi Laba’ with Killer Kau in June 2022. Recently, he has been busy performing at various events across the country and beyond. As Jobe is holding live performances, he also might have been carrying out songwriting gigs underground. Jobe London is not only known for his incredible dancing and singing talent but makes a name for himself as a songwriter.
Other Celebrities Who Have Been Falsely Reported as Dead Recently
Besides Jobe London and Zola 7, who were reported to have died of heart failure in 2021, TV personality Sipho “Psyfo” Ngwenya was also falsely reported as dead in August 2021. Interestingly, he caught the Facebook user, Siyabulela Spetsnaz Skey, who falsely announced his death by posting an old picture of him with the caption, RIP.
He slammed the Facebook user and demanded that such expensive jokes need to stop. Psyfo initially wanted to ignore the rumor but later decided to speak out as such jokes are detrimental to someone’s mental health; they can cause anxiety and depression. Hence, he asked people to be sensitive about what they post online for clout. He seriously condemned the culture of wanting to be famous on social media at the expense of someone else’s depression.
I thought I should ignore this but then again I thought there is something very deep and sad that needs to be highlighted about social media and it’s impact on depression and anxiety. This culture of wanting to be famous at the expense of someone else’s depression is not cool. pic.twitter.com/wMvk2zMaB0
— Mr. 🐊 (MBA) (@SIDWELL_N) August 13, 2021
On the other hand, Bonginkosi “Zola” Dlamini’s case was quite different from the rest. After the Facebook user who declared him dead was caught up in his lies, he had to apologize to the kwaito music legend for publicly announcing his death without verifying the facts. He claimed to have gotten a false update. He properly made amends by sharing on Facebook that Zola 7 is alive and that he didn’t intend to wish him dead.
