Children’s entertainer Stevin John, who is known better by his stage name Blippi, is unexpectedly back on social media trends over the weekend. The 38-year-old was subjected to a bizarre death hoax with many claiming that he passed away.
The claim seemed to have originated with what appears to be a glitch on Google search, which showed that the 38-year-old died on July 20, Monday. But nothing has been posted about it by his family or reps. Screenshots of the Google search page showing that the creator died went viral and left many fans of Blippi confused.
Ht.com can confirm that Stevin John has not passed away. There has been no statement from either Stevin John’s family or his reps about his death, illness or any other issue.
Also read: US judge blocks Paramount’s $110B Warner Bros. Discovery merger temporarily
Google Glitch Amplifies Death Hoax
Below is a screenshot of the Google search glitch that seemed to have triggered the hoax of Blippi creator Stevin John’s death. Sharing it, Facebook user Serenity Elleen wrote: “Apparently Stevin John, the creator and original face of Blippi, passed away today. He was only 38 years old and left behind a 4 year old son. 😭 I know he got some backlash from past choices but this is really sad.”
Similarly, in the comments section of the post, other individuals shared similar screenshots on Google’s profile of Stevin John.
The glitch seemed to have lasted for around two to three hours. As of 4:50pm EDT, the Google profile of Stevin John is now longer showing him dead. As of now, there has been no reaction from John on the incident.
“Okay, I am confused. When I typed in his name, Google said this,” wrote another user, Sarah Deanna, sharing a screenshot of the Google search results for Stevin John.
As the rumor of his death started spreading on social media, websites claiming to be memorial published obituaries for John, which further amplified the claim.
Who is Stevin John?
Stevin John created the character Blippi in 2014. The character was recognisable by its trademark orange suspenders, orange bow tie, and blue-and-orange hat. Blippi is produced by Moonbug Entertainment and now spans YouTube channels, TV shows on Amazon and HBO, books, toys, live performances, and streaming content. Since 2014, Blippi has been portrayed by other creators, such as Clayton Grimm.
HT.com has reached out to Moonbug Entertainment for a comment on the story.
