The Celebrity Death Prank emerged as a viral sensation on platforms like TikTok during the late 2022 holiday season. The trend involves younger family members filming their parents or grandparents while falsely announcing that a beloved celebrity—such as Ozzy Osbourne, Kris Jenner, or Cher—has passed away. The humor (and sometimes controversy) stems from the raw, shocked, and often dramatic reactions of the victims who have deep parasocial bonds with these icons. As a meme template, it is used to satirize internet culture's obsession with celebrity status and the speed at which misinformation spreads through social media, often serving as a commentary on generational gaps in media consumption.