The Internet blew up on Sunday when an article with the headline "DO NOT PUB Kirk Douglas Dies" was discovered on the People magazine website. Rest assured, the veteran actor is not dead but the surprise find definitely brewed some serious confusion and speculation. The article has since removed the premature obituary from its website, but the death announcement flub has certainly left its impression on the web ahead of the Tuesday release of Kirk Douglas' new book "Life Could Be Verse."
According to the Washington Times, "Kirk Douglas, Hollywood hefty-weight and winner of an honorary Academy Award, got a sneak preview of his obituary when a recent People magazine post announced his death - only he's not dead. In addition, the headline of "Kirk Douglas Dies" was preceded by the all-caps, clearly readable "DO NOT PUB" tag." So what happened? How could such a ridiculous mistake occur?
To make matters even worse, the publishing date on the People magazine obituary is Sept. 29, 2014, leading some to believe that the article may have been published months ago but only just discovered.
Could it all be a massive publicity stunt for the release of Douglas' new book, "Life Could Be Verse?" Doubtful, the 97 year old can't be that savvy, but the ill-timed newsbreak has generated interest in a rather roundabout way.
Ahead of his 98th birthday, Kirk Douglas is releasing a book of poetry and life stories. But this is hardly his first foray into writing, as his most recently published "I am Spartacus: Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist" was received with critical acclaim in 2012.
"I've written 10 books...But this was the first time I was looking over the things in my life, and I was surprised to know how many poems I've written," explained the impressive movie star to Andre Mandell of USA Today.
"I tried to take the poems and put them in the story (of my life). And the story ends with my wife and me," continued Douglas as he described his new book.
A reflection of his iconic Hollywood life, the book details many aspects of the actor's career and personal experiences from his "first audition with Mae West (a solid rejection) to his changing relationship with son Michael Douglas."
And what did the 97 year old actor have to say about his surprise obituary being published by People magazine?
"The announcement of my death is premature," Douglas said Monday, via an assistant. "I'm looking forward to turning 98 next week."
Check out the entire USA Today video interview below:
