Death is not the end, especially if you're
a dead celebrity that never really...
- ...died in the first place.
- Let's talk about that.
♪ (theme music) ♪
- Good Mythical Morning!
- They say the only certainties in life...
...are death and taxes. But you know
what? You can go ahead and cross
death off that list, because some people
that you think are dead aren't...
- ...really dead.
- Because this is the kind of thing...
...that happens. I mean, Olivia
Newton John's ex-boyfriend
faked his own death. I'm faking my
own beard. But today, we're gonna talk
about some of the most popular
theories about celebrities faking their
own deaths. It's time for Fake Your
Death 'til You Make Your Death:...
- ...Celebrity Edition!
- B-b-b-boom!
Let's get started with probably the most
popular celebrity to have possibly
faked his death: Elvis Presley, the King
of Rock and Roll.
You want Elvis to be alive. Let's just
go on record right off the bat.
- No, I don't.
- You were a big Elvis fan.
No, I want him to be dead, because
he supposedly died in August, 1977.
I was born in October, 1977.
So I hold a dream...
- You think you reincarnated?
- ...that I am reincarnated.
And if he's alive, I'm not him!
So don't tell me he's alive.
- But he might be. Let's talk about it.
- Okay.
He was 42 years old when he
(sarcastically) "died."
- (crew offscreen laughing)
- Cause of death: massive heart...
...attack. The rumor has it that he
was on the toilet, even though
I think he was just in the bathroom.
Massive drug overdose.
Also massive overdose of fried
peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
- Ooh!
- Those two things really didn't...
- ...do his body well.
- Had my first one two weeks ago.
- It was amazing.
- Oh really?
- Don't even like bananas. Loved it.
- You should add mayonnaise to it.
- And Nutella. I did.
- Believe it or not.
Okay. You're crazy. All right.
Why do people thing that he faked...
- ...his death?
- Because they want him to be alive.
- It's that simple.
- Well, one of the main theories...
...goes that -- it's not even a theory.
It's just a fact. On his tombstone,
it says "Elvis Aaron Presley." But it's
ay-ay-ron. Ay-ay-ron. Two As.
- But he actually spelled it with one A.
- Really?
So, of course, because they misspelled
his middle name, he must still be alive.
Well, if that's not his name,
that's not him. I'm with you.
- It's just called a misprint, dude.
- I love how we both keep switching...
...back and forth, like who's
gonna believe this.
Also, the National Enquirer, very
reputable source, posted photos of
Elvis's open casket funeral. They actually
paid a cousin to go in a take a snapshot
during the funeral, and then they released
these. It was a big deal when it happened.
- Mm. Mhm.
- (Rhett) Here it is. And lots...
...of people who think that he's not dead
say that obviously a wax figure.
That is not Elvis.But I have examined this
black-and-white photo very, very closely.
My professional opinion is that's
probably Elvis. (laughing)
- (crew offscreen laughing)
- (Link) It looks like a really...
- ...young Elvis, which is weird to me.
- (Rhett) Oh!
- (Link) It doesn't look like the old Elvis.
- (Rhett) Oh, it's weird to you?
(Rhett) Well, maybe he's not dead.
Now, he has been seen by hundreds
of people all around the world. And there
is a really interesting thing that
happened, supposedly. The day after
Elvis died, a man named John Burrows
appeared at the Memphis airport,
bought a one-way ticket Buenos Aires,
Argentina, and he reportedly looked
and sound just like the King himself.
And John Burrows was the alias that
Elvis allegedly used when he would
book hotels and when communicating
with the FBI. Remember that?
When he used to communicate with
the FBI?
I don't remember it, but I've heard
about it.
But I think the best evidence for Elvis
still being around is this one video...
- ...that we have found.
- Oh.
And that is the fact that he never
left Graceland. He actually just stuck
around and now he is trimming the
shrubs. He is the groundskeeper...
- ...at Graceland.
- And this is someone's conspiracy...
- ...theory, not just yours?
- Oh, this is definitely a conspiracy...
...theory, and we have video
evidence. Let's show that.
- Here he is.
-Okay.
- Now, you tell me that's not Elvis.
- Are you talking about the guy...
...in the orange shirt who's the only
one onscreen, 'cause that looks...
- ...nothing like Elvis.
- No, no no! I know he looks a lot...
...like Kenny Rogers, but a lot of
people think that this is Elvis.
- He's walking right towards us!
- Watch what happens now.
- He's gonna confront us.
- Watch what happens with this left hand.
Watch it. Watch it. Watch it. See that
right there? That symbol?
You think he might just be scratching
his temple?
Oh, look! He's got a freaking Elvis
t-shirt on!
- It says his name on it.
- What are the chances?!
- Why would you wear an Elvis t-shirt
if you're not Elvis?
- He might think Elvis is weak.
- So anyway, I'm not making this up.
Lots of people think that this is Elvis,
because he would be 81.
Kinda walks like Elvis. Got an Elvis
t-shirt, and he did this symbol with...
- ...his finger, which, according to...
- What is that? It was like this.
...the description in this YouTube video,
is the proof of life signal.
- What?
- The international sign of...
...proof of life. Not the international
sign of "I have an inch on my head."
- (laughing)
- Okay, the guy's alive!
But that's not the
"proof I'm Elvis" symbol.
- (laughing)
- Yeah, it is! You just say the King, man!
- Okay. (clears throat)
- Okay, you don't believe it. All right.
- Maybe he is dead.
- I'm intrigued. I'm not gonna...
...close the case on it. Can I open
it on Jim Morrison?
- You can!
- (Link) Of course, lead singer...
...of the Doors, the Lizard King himself.
Born 1943. He is currently 72 years old.
- Right, because he's not dead. Mhm.
- And is alive.
But he supposedly died July 3, 1971,
at the age of 27.
Supposedly had heart failure and died
in the bathtub...
- Huh.
- ...of his Paris apartment.
- These celebrities in their bathrooms.
- But here's the skinny, man.
- No autopsy was performed.
- Ooh.
- No police report was filed.
- What?
Uh-huh. He was put on ice for three
days and taken to the coroner.
Only two people ever saw the body:
his girlfriend and a shady doctor named...
- ...Dr. Max Vassille.
- Vassille?
- Dr. Maximum Vassille.
- That sounds shady.
- Yeah, it sounds like a Bond villain.
- Sounds like something you get...
- ...treated for.
- Yeah. If Vassille is your man...
...get a second opinion. But Jim had
a motive. Get this.
Two years earlier, he freaked out on
stage, and whipped out his ding-a-ling.
- (laughing) All right.
- He did. He did!
- I've heard about this.
- "Gotta die now."
So he was out on bail after
being arrested...
- Was it accidental or purposeful?
- It was purposeful.
- What song was it?
- He freaked out on stage.
- Don't know.
- Come On Baby, Light My Fire.
- I don't know.
- Okay. That's the one you know.
He was facing jail time, so he fled
to Paris, when two years later, he died.
But he didn't die. Where is he now?
Theory one: he is a bearded poet living...
- ...in Schenectady, New York.
- Sounds about right.
A YouTuber named brokkenstar has filmed
a local man named Richard -- that's what
he's going by now -- since 2009.
Just watch Jim Morrison right here.
- Here he is.
- Is that him?
- Looks like Santa Claus.
- "Came in for a landing."
- (voice officers) Jimmy!
- Skip down a road...
...clothed in simple innocence,
where wiser men strode in their...
- ...youthful exuberance.
- (Rhett) Um...
Take a share in our heritage
and grow from a seed...
- (Rhett) Link.
- ...planted with the experience.
- He's a poet, just like Jim Morrison!
- Well...
- The Lizard King!
- I can say a poem, too. That doesn't...
- ...make me Jim Morrison.
- Can you say a poem as good as...
"Skip down a road, clothed in simple
innocence, where wiser men strode
in their youthful exuberance. Take a share
in our heritage and grow from a seed...
- ...planted with the experience"?
- Okay, you're right. It is Jim Morrison.
- (laughing)
- I'm sorry.
But I'll give you another theory, too.
He is living on a ranch in Eagle Point,
Oregon. Gerald Pitts, who claimed to have
been Jim Morrison's agent said that
Jim has changed his name to William
James Loyer and he opened up a
ranch called -- get this -- the Jim
Morrison Sanctuary.
A little... a little...
a little creepy, huh?
- (laughing)
- A little suspicious.
Why would a guy named... Why would
Jim Morrison fake his own death and go
"Oh, I'm gonna be real sneaky.
I'm gonna open up the Jim Morrison...
- ...Sanctuary."
- And he can't hide. Look at this video...
...which puts all the
puzzle pieces together.
(Link) So what does William James
Loyer, AKA Jim Morrison, look like now?
- (Link) There he is. Holding his guns.
- (Rhett) Oh.
- (Link) But watch this.
- (Rhett) Okay, because it didn't look...
...like Jim Morrison the first time
I saw it.
- (Link) Here we go. Wait of it!
- (Rhett) Still doesn't look like...
- ...Jim Morrison
- (Link) See that creeping in?
- (Link) Here it comes. There it is.
- (Rhett) Oh, that's Jim Morrison's...
- ...face coming in.
- (Link) Yep, floatin' in.
(Link) Aaaand BAM! There it is! (laughing)
- (Rhett) Completely covering his face?
- (Link) No, it's there, man!
(Link) That is him! Same guy. The
proprietor of Jim Morrison Sanctuary...
- ...my friends, is Jim Morrison.
- I don't... (stammering)
Is it still under there? Is his original
face still under there? Because if so...
- ...this is definitely believable to me.
- (Link) Me too.
- All right. possible.
- Got another one for ya.
- I know you're a big fan of Tupac Shakur.
- (Rhett) I am.
(Link) He is a rap artist,
who is still living.
- Right.
- He is 45 years old now, if he's still...
...alive. Born in 1971.
♪ (California love) ♪
- He sang that.
- Yeah. He sounded just like that.
- (crew offscreen laughing)
- (laughing) Yeah.
- Oh my goodness.
- So, okay. Listen...
You just dishonored him,
whether he's dead or alive.
He supposedly died on September 7, 1996,
when he was at a Mike Tyson / Bruce
Seldon fight, which I don't remember who
Bruce Seldon is.
That's because he got knocked out
by Mike Tyson.
You're probably right. And he was
actually shot on September 7.
- He did not died for seven more days.
- Okay.
So that night after the fight, he gets in
the car, and a white Cadillac pulls up
next to Tupac and Suge Knight and fires
14 rounds into the car.
- Okay.
- Tupac was hit four times.
Like I said, he died seven days later.
But this is why it was fake, okay?
- Okay.
- Just think of these things.
14 shots were fired. None of them hit
Suge Knight.
- And he's a big target.
- He's a big target and a shady character.
You'd think he's get hit at least
six or seven times.
Tupac had already been shot in 1994,
so he reported that he would always
wear a bulletproof vest after that, yet he
did not wear one this particular night?
But how come every time I picture
Tupac, he has his shirt off?
- Not just because it's like a fantasy.
- That's true.
- (crew offscreen laughing)
- He has a bulletproof vest that looks...
- ...like a Tupac torso with Thug Life.
- No, but he has the bandana...
- ...and then he's shirtless.
- That is a...
- It's bulletproof vest?
- That's a bulletproof torso vest.
- Oh. Then I take everything back.
- Right. No one saw the shooting occur...
...or reported seeing the white Cadillac
in the area, even though it happened
on the Vegas strip right after this
major fight. Hm...
Shug Knight says he never saw the body
after he died.
- Well, did Shug Knight see him get shot?
- (laughing) Yeah.
- Because let's talk to Shug about that.
- He was right there.
And then Shug paid someone to cremate
Tupac, and then that guy retired...
- ...immediately after cremating Tupac.
- That's just because you get a huge...
- And he was never seen again!
- ...check after that.
You get a huge check after cremating a
celebrity. It's like, "I'm going to Hawaii!"
He's never been seen. The cremator of
Tupac is nowhere to be found, man.
The cremator of Tupac could be Tupac.
(laughing)
- Exactly! Yes, Rhett. Now you're...
- Yeah.
- ...onto something. Plus, Tupac's...
- Yes, okay. I see.
...last album release while he was alive.
He referred to himself as Makaveli,
which is a direct reference to
Machiavelli, 15th-century Italian writer
who suggested that the only way to defeat
your enemies was to, what?
- (both) Fake your own death.
- Case closed.
You don't even need to continue.
But you should.
- So where is Tupac now, you ask?
- Anywhere he wants to be.
Well, he's in Cuba. That's where he wants
to be.
- Huh?
- He wants to escape the limelight...
...and the death threats of his east coast
west coast beef.
- Mhm.
- And that's where he is, living with...
...his aunt. How do we know that?
Because Rihanna posted a picture
from Cuba of her with him. Here it is.
How convinced are you?
- (Link) 100%? I thought so.
(Rhett) I definitely don't sense...
- ...and Photoshop in that picture.
- (Link) No. Especially like right...
- ...around the mouth region.
(Rhett) Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(Link) His mouth region and her
hair region.
(Rhett) And also the fact that he still
looks exactly the same age that he...
- ...was when we knew him to be alive.
- Mm.
But you know what? I don't know.
Cuba's a great climate.
It's a great place. There's a lot
of humidity.
Lemme give you another one. This is
there real smoking gun. It's a video
of Tupac appearing the the 2011
Occupy Wall Street stand-in.
Well, first of all, I can see on the still
right here. Isn't that the wizard...
- ...from Harry Potter on the left?
- Yeah, that's Dumbledore.
And then look right behind him, and
press play on it, brother, because...
- ...here he comes. There he is.
- (Rhett) oh, is that Tupac in...
...the yellow hoodie?
Yeah, that's Tupac!
(Link) And then it's been frozen,
and then look.
- (Rhett) Hold on. There's another Tupac.
- (Link) Compare the circled cheeks.
- (Link) The are the same.
- (Rhett) Exactly the same.
(Link) This is, uh... delaamemo's YouTube
video, and then you go...
- (Rhett) Oh, no! Oh, no!
- (Link) Look at that! Right there!
- (Rhett) If you had any doubts.
- (Link) And then, there you go.
- (Link) I added that.
- (Rhett) Oh, gosh.
- Look at that.
- You know what? When Tupac's face...
...replaces that other guy who's not
Tupac, that's when it really looks...
- ...just like Tupac.
- (Link) Yeah, it's so convincing!
- (Link) She is also Tupac.
- (Rhett) Yeah, you put Tupac over...
...that old white lady's face,
she looks like Tupac.
Exactly! Tupac is everywhere. Because
Tupac is alive.
Hm. If you're interested in the subject of
people faking their own deaths,
there's a book about it called
"Playing Dead: A Journey Through the
World of Death Fraud," and we've got
a deal for you.
You can go to audible.com/GMM and get
a free 30-day trial!
They've got over 180,000 audiobook titles,
including that one. The link is in the...
- ...description: audible.com/GMM.
- Thanks for liking, commenting...
- ...and subscribing.
- You know what time it is.
Hi, I'm Lex. And I'm about to do
a show. And I'm from Tennessee.
And this is my juggle, Rudy! And it's
time to spin The Wheel Of Mythicality!
Thanks to Audible for sponsoring this
episode, and remember to go to
audible.com/GMM for your free,
30-day trial.
And click through to Good Mythical More,
where I'm gonna share a personal...
- ...story from my life.
- Uh-oh!
A trip that I took my dog, Jade, on
recently that you're gonna wanna take...
- ...your dog, Barbara, on as well.
- Well, we'll see about that.
- Predict.
- (Rhett) "Birds plotting to...
- ...poop on cars." Hey!
- Hey!
- Look at that one!
- I'm just looking down there.
- You see what I see?
- It's a convertible!
- Uh-huh! Open the hatch!
- Tupac and Shug Knight are in there!
- Uh-huh! 14 droppers!
- Let's both aim for Shug, because...
- ...Tupac's been through too much.
- Br-br-br-br-br-br-br!
[Captioned by Kevin:
GMM Captioning Team]
