On April 9, 2021, rapper DMX died in a New York hospital where he had since suffered a “catastrophic cardiac arrest” a week earlier. As news of the musician’s disappearance circulated on social media, so did a rumor that DMX had taken the COVID-19 vaccine shortly before suffering this heart attack.
The only source of the rumor that DMX took a vaccine shortly before his heart attack is an anonymous “family member” who was quoted in an MTO News article. The alleged family member reportedly said:
“[DMX] received the vaccine when they opened it to people over 50. He got it so he could travel and perform, stuff like that… Everyone [in the news] keep saying that [DMX] had a drug overdose. How do they know. I’m in the family and no doctor has told me anything about an overdose… Yes, he had drug problems in the past. But no one knows he had OD. It’s f ** ck up being reported like this … He took that vaccine, and he had a heart attack. I’m not saying the vaccine did it, but he’s never had a heart attack before.
This story was subsequently revived by websites such as dailypostusa.com and the misleading name of the “Washington News Post” (not the Washington Post).
There are a number of reasons to be skeptical about this story. On the one hand, this rumor comes from a single unnamed source. In the official statement from the DMX family regarding the death of the musicians, neither COVID-19 nor a COVID-19 vaccine was mentioned. The official statement reads as follows:
“We are deeply saddened to announce today that our beloved DMX, birth name Earl Simmons, has passed away at the age of 50 at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after been on life support for the past few days… Earl was a warrior who fought to the end. He loved his family with all his heart and we treasure the times we spent with him… Earl’s music has inspired countless fans around the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we mourn the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information on his memorial service once details are finalized. “
A statement from the hospital in White Plains, New York, noted that DMX died after suffering “catastrophic cardiac arrest.”
It’s also worth noting that Media Takeout is a gossip magazine that has published questionable articles in the past. After Lil Nas X dressed up as Nicki Minaj for Halloween, for example, the website posted an article claiming the musician had become transgender. Gossip Cop reported:
MediaTakeOut, otherwise known as MTO News, does not have a stellar record for reporting on celebrity news. In fact, at Gossip Cop, we’ve dubbed them MediaFakeOut because of how often we’ve debunked their false rumors. It would be embarrassing for the gossip site if they were ashamed to start.
The biggest problem with this rumor, however, is that it insinuates that the DMX heart attack was “caused” by a COVID-19 vaccine although there is no evidence to support this claim. The MTO article ends by stating that “the CDC has only received 2,794 reports of deaths among people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine,” but that does not mean that 2,794 deaths were “caused” by the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC writes:
Over 167 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020 to April 5, 2021. During this period, VAERS received 2,794 death reports (0.00167%) among those who received a COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors from the CDC and FDA review each death case report as soon as it is notified, and the CDC requests medical records to further assess the reports. A review of available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsy and medical records, found no evidence that the vaccination contributed to the deaths of the patients.
While there is no evidence that a vaccine caused the DMX heart attack, it is possible that the rapper was vaccinated sometime before his death. In New York City, vaccinations were opened to people aged 50 and over on March 22, 2021. DMX died at the age of 50.