Chumlee Hoax False, 'Pawn Stars' Member Not Dead
A Chumlee hoax concluded that the popular "Pawn Stars" member had died. However, the man, whose real name is Austin Russell, confirmed via Twitter and other social media sites that the reports circulating are false.
The Chumlee hoax began Tuesday, when rumors circulated that the "Pawn Stars" regular had died of a marijuana overdose. The man was apparently found by "Big Hoss" Harrison dead, according to The Internet Chronicle. The writers may have known that the cause of death sounded suspicious, and so offered an equally dubious explanation.
"The only possible way he could have died from a marijuana overdose without first clogging his lungs with soot is through the use of vaporizers," no-doubt-fictional Doctor Angstrom H. Troubadour told The Internet Chronicle. "[Chumlee] rigged up to 90 vaporizers [filled] with the stickiest and most potent of marijuana available on the market."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The lack of Response from Russell in the following days only served to ignite the rumors until they were reported on by larger legitimate sites like MSN.
However, Russell soon popped up to dispel the false rumors, tweeting to his many followers that he was still alive.
"RIP Austin 'chumlee' Russell was a great man he will be missed," he posted on his Twitter account, apparently having fun with the hoax.
"#not #dead #chumlee #magic #howto #selfie" he also wrote on his Vine account along with a looping video of him repeatedly saying "I'm not dead!"
Though it technically is possible to overdose on marijuana according to Brown University, the chances are infinitely small that it could happen.
The Internet Chronicle has been known to make up false death rumors and hoaxes, and made one up for Lil Wayne in the past.
