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Why Did We All Think Kel Mitchell Died In 2006?

Why Did We All Think Kel Mitchell Died In 2006?

There was a massive rumour that the 'Kenan & Kel' star died when he was just 27

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

It was a sad day back in 2006 when we all read about the tragic, untimely death of Kenan and Kel star - Kel Mitchell. The mass outpouring of grief was totally misplaced, though, because it all turned out to be a hoax.

According to Snopes, Kel was just an innocent victim of a celebrity death hoax, which could spread like wildfire back in the days when people weren't so quick to use Google to fact-check.


Credit: Nickelodeon

The original message was shared via email - remember your old Hotmail account with a name you definitely can't use on your LinkedIn profile - and on MySpace.

The email/post read: "Kel Mitchell, otherwise known as Kel Kimble in the hit TV show 'Kenan & Kell' died on Sunday night at his home in LA. The reason for his death is currently unknown.

"Kel Mitchell was in other productions after 'Kenan & Kell' such as The Power of One: The Pokemon 2000 Movie Special and Good Burger, which produced many famous quotes including the famously used "Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger! Can I take your order?"

Nickelodeon

"Kel Mitchell, leaves behind two children names Allure and Lyric, and his wife Tyisha Hampton.

"Please repost this and show your support for a much loved figure of TV culture. Repost with the title R.I.P. Hopefully Kel will be remembered for his fun, and good nature...

"'Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda I do I do I dooooooo'

"RIP

"25 August 1978 - 9 July 2006"

Ah, I can feel myself filling up all over again, here. However, thankfully, it turned out to be bollocks. Our pal, Kel, was, and remains to this day, alive and well.

Kel actually addressed the rumours in an interview with The Atlantic in 2013. He told the news outlet that following the rumour his phone was flooded with concerned distant relatives.

"As soon as they called and I picked up, I think they figured it out," he said. "It was kind of laughable, you know what I mean? It's laughable, but at the same time, it's a serious matter. It's shocking to me that someone would sit there and say someone else died."

But he's not bitter about being killed off by weirdos online. He said: "All press is good press.

"When they said that, it was like people started looking me up to see what was going on and if I was alive.

"It basically changed everything around. It actually worked out in my benefit."


via GIPHY

And he does seem to have done well out of it. He had all but disappeared back in 2006 when the rumours began, but now he's back where he belongs (on Nickelodeon) on Game Shakers.

He also, briefly, reunited with pal Kenan Thompson for a Good Burger sketch on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

And it was glorious.

Glad to see you alive and well, Kel.

Source: Snopes; The Atlantic

Featured Image Credit: Nickelodeon

Topics: Celebrity, TV & Film, Nickelodeon