Angela Bassett’s son Slater Vance has “sincerely” apologized to Michael B Jordan after taking part in a “harmful” TikTok trend well known as the “celebrity death prank”.
The viral hoax, which started around Christmas and lasted until the end of 2022, involves someone secretly taping another person, generally a parental figure, while informing them that a prominent person has died, according to CNN.
Bassett’s 16-year-old son, whom she shares with her husband, fellow actor Courtney B Vance, mistakenly told his parents of Jordan’s death at the age of 35 in a since-deleted TikTok video. The video shows Bassett putting her palm over her heart in amazement while continuously muttering, “Uh-huh, uh-huh”. Prior to the end of the video, Courtney can be heard urging his son, “Stop it. You’re playing”.
Because Bassett and Jordan co-star in the Black Panther films, Vance’s prank was slammed for mentioning a celebrity that his mother knew personally. Vance apologized in a now-deleted Instagram video released Saturday (31 December). “I apologize to Michael B Jordan’s entire family, his extended family, and him directly as he is an idol of mine,” he said.
