Dick Van Dyke announced as dead by Pussycat Doll in cringe blunder
Dick Van Dyke is not dead, Ashley Roberts (Monica Schipper/Getty Images | Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Pussycat Dolls icon Ashley Roberts made a blunder while live on air, incorrectly announcing that Dick Van Dyke had died.
On Thursday (12 February), during Heart Radio’s Breakfast Show, Roberts mistakenly reported that Mary Poppins actor Dick Van Dyke had died. Dyke is still alive and turned 100 in December last year.
Roberts had meant to name Dawson’s Creek actor and staunch LGBTQ+ ally James Van Der Beek, who died on 11 February, two-and-a-half years after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He was 48.
“Dawson’s Creek’s Dick Van Dyke has passed away,” Robert obliviously shared, before co-host Jamie Theakston corrected her, saying: “Not Dick Van Dyke – come on. If you’re going to do a sensitive moment, if you’re going to do an obituary, you can’t just say Dick Van Dyke.”
Roberts went on to clarify that the actor is still alive, before apologising for the blunder.
Van Der Beek’s family announced in a statement that he had “passed peacefully”.
“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” they wrote.
A GoFundMe set up in the hours following his death has at the time of writing surpassed $1.3 million raised. The funds will be used to support Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly and his six children to recuperate funds lost while paying for Van Der Beek’s medical care.
Among the LGBTQ+ community, Van Der Beek was celebrated for his allyship, having spoken out in support of gay marriage prior to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling Obergefell v Hodges in 2015, which legalised same-sex marriage.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
