Mary Tyler Moore Died in 2017; So Why Did BBC Report Her Death in 2021?
The internet has a history of falsely claiming celebrities have died prematurely. However, it isn’t often that an online source reports someone famous has died years after the fact. But just that happened recently after the BBC shared news of the death of Mary Tyler Moore. Moore — whose TV shows are iconic — actually died in 2017. So what happened?
Mary Tyler Moore was a TV icon who died in 2017
Moore is perhaps best known for her sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which ran from 1970 to 1977. The series — which followed a young woman on her own in the big city — broke ground for TV storytelling. And the pioneering series won legions of fans and much critical praise throughout its run. But Moore wasn’t the only one to make a huge impact on the show.
Other cast members such as Ed Asner and Valerie Harper even landed their own spinoffs. Yet, Moore’s comedic sensibility shined through her stellar supporting cast. The Mary Tyler Moore Show helped set the stage for the future of TV comedy. And decades later, the actor’s legacy lives on, even in the wake of her death in 2017 at the age of 80.
Why BBC reported the actor’s death as breaking news in 2021
So imagine fans’ surprise when BBC Breaking News (via The Wrap) tweeted out the following news: “Emmy award-winning US actress Mary Tyler Moore dies aged 80, her publicist says.” Accordingly, the weet went viral, with most pointing out the inaccuracy of the report. But BBC soon realized their error, deleting the tweet. Naturally, it lives on in screen-grab form.
Still, why did this tweet get sent in the first place? Sometime later that same day, the BBC News World Twitter account clarified how the mistake was made. According to the official message, “An earlier tweet about the death of Mary Tyler Moore in 2017 was sent from @BBCBreaking due to a technical error. This has subsequently been removed.”
Perhaps an old tweet was simply resubmitted. The BBC did not shed any more light on the nature of the “technical error.” But hopefully, this clears up the question for any Moore fans.
What was Mary Tyler Moore’s net worth
Thank mostly to her iconic roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the actor left behind a significant net worth. Apparently, upon Moore’s death, she was worth approximately $60 million. Reportedly, the actor’s husband was placed in charge of the money after her death.
While Moore’s career was financially successful, it’s ultimately how her work changed the industry that is her lasting impact. For decades, fans have been entertained, inspired, and even moved by her work. Whether she died in 2017 or 2021, that certainly wouldn’t change after Moore’s death.
