Michael J. Fox fans were seriously concerned recently when a false report of his death surfaced online recently.
However, the news about the Back to the Future star was quickly branded a "hoax," and his team issued a statement clarifying he was alive and well.
CNN accidentally published, and later remove, an article and video titled: "Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox".
© Getty ImagesThe page was taken down and an apology was issued. Now, Michael has further assured fans of his wellbeing with his first public appearance since the report.
Michael— who suffers from Parkinson's disease — was radiant and smiling at his foundation's A Country Thing Happened On The Way to Cure Parkinson's event.
Happy and healthy
© Getty ImagesHe wore a denim jacket with a casual t-shirt and navy pants in Nashville. Michael posed for photos while sitting in a chair on the red carpet. He joined stars such as Marc Cohn, Aaron Webser and Dusty Slay, and looked upbeat and unfazed by recent reports.
When the article was first published, Michael told ET with a calm and collected response: "It was just funny. I was on my way to dinner and I said to Mike, who was driving for me, 'Pull over, I gotta text.'
"They lose track of what they're trying to say ahead of the curve on him and there's a guy going to dinner who's quite surprised to find that he's dead but I understand it."
He added: "I understand people have a curiosity and a lot of investing in me, whether it's their interest in our research or whether it's just an association with me from when they're kids and that's very special."
Proving his down-to-earth persona, Michael concluded: "I'm a pretty rock hard guy and I don't get upset about stuff like that. I was always looking for the joke."
Parkinson's diagnosis
© InstagramThe star was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991 at the age of 29. He's in a happy longtime marriage to Tracy Pollan,, who has been a source of support at every turn.
They share four grown children — Sam, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, and their youngest daughter Esmé.
He retired from full-time acting in 2020 but has made several guest appearances since, including his most recent on Shrinking.
© AppleTV Via Getty ImagesMichael portrayed Gerry, a Parkinson's patient who meets Harrison Ford's character Paul — who has also been diagnosed with the disease — at the doctor's office.
Harrison spoke his connection with Michael while talking at an even when he said: "He is an incredibly thoughtful, compassionate, wise, gentle person, with great power.
"He's been very generous in extending friendship to me. I really didn't know him, so I was a little nervous about meeting him. But he was so generous and kind to me that it gave me a degree of confidence, which is all you have to work with."
