Queen Latifah shuts down online death hoax: 'I'm good!'

Queen Latifah has assured fans she is "good" after a death hoax began circulating online.

Earlier this week, a report that The Equalizer actress had passed away started to do the rounds on social media.

But on Thursday, Latifah - real name Dana Owens - took to Instagram to deny the speculation.

"Good morning! It's me, Latifah," she told the camera while sitting in her car. "I'm 100 per cent A-OK."

Latifah went on to urge fans to be cautious about re-sharing what they see online.

"Can't believe what you read on the Internet or see," the 55-year-old insisted. "Can't believe nothin' now, right? I'm good. Peace."

And a short time later, the Chicago star returned to her account to maintain that the death report posted on Facebook was "fake".

"Everybody sharing such care and concern, but honestly, what you saw on Facebook was fake. So, I'm fine," she added.

Accordingly, Latifah was quickly inundated with messages from her celebrity friends.

"My sister !!!!" wrote Janelle Monáe, while Gabrielle Union commented: "Gurlllllllll (sic)."

Latifah is currently in production on the animated movie Ice Age: Boiling Point, for which she voices the character of Ellie.

The feature is set to be released in February 2027.