Overview
- A circulating social post falsely claimed the reality TV personality died in a motorcycle crash, using his photo beside a wreck image and an 'R.I.P.' caption.
- Leyla Heiter posted the screenshot on Instagram, stated clearly that Mike is alive, and condemned the fabrication as irresponsible and attention-seeking.
- She described feeling a jolt of fear when she saw the claim even though her husband was right next to her.
- Reports do not identify who created the false notice, and outlets note a similar hoax targeted fellow reality figure Umut Tekin about a week earlier.
- The couple previously sustained concussions in a real car accident in Essen in May, a separate incident reported months before this hoax.