 Bogus
Death Reports - Over the years, many rumors have spread
about one celebrity or another kicking the bucket.
In the
1970-80s, rumors spread that Mikey (John Gilchrist) the
freckled-faced boy from the Life Cereal commercials had died
from eating Pop Rocks and Coca-Cola (or choked to death after
biting off the head of a G.I. Joe Doll). Gilchrist is alive and
well and working as a account executive in New York City.
In the
1960s, an erroneous press release from the AP and UPI wire
services stated that Jerry Mathers, the "Beaver" from LEAVE IT
TO BEAVER/CBS/ABC/1957-63 had died in Vietnam.
On a December 22,
1969 interview on THE TONIGHT SHOW with Johnny Carson, guest
Shelley Winters repeated the story to a nation of late night
viewers. Jerry Mathers however, did not die and went on to star
in the spin-off THE NEW LEAVE IT TO BEAVER/DIS/TBS/1985-89.
And finally, Bob Denver who played beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on
THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS/CBS/1959-63 and first mate
Gilligan on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND/CBS/1964-67 allegedly had died
from an electrical shock after a radio had fallen into his
bathtub in the early 1960s.
Bob Denver never experienced such a situation and the only
"charge" he was guilty of was being charged for possession of
marijuana in June of 1998.
A few years later, however, Denver died on September 2,
2005 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. from complications
following surgery for throat cancer.
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