**Viral News Snippet:**
**MELISSA GILBERT DEATH HOAX SPARKS OUTRAGE AFTER FAKE “HEARTATTACK” REPORT GOES VIRAL**
*FACT CHECK: CLAIMED ‘TRIBUTE PAGE’ IS FRAUDULENT – ACTRESS ALIVE & WELL*
A disturbing rumor is sweeping social media claiming *Little House on the Prairie* star Melissa Gilbert, 60, died suddenly from a “massive heart attack” at her home in Michigan. Several fake news sites and impersonator accounts are circulating a graphic with a false quote from her former co-star Karen Grassle. **VERDICT: FALSE.** Gilbert herself fired back on Instagram, writing: “I am very much alive, baking sourdough, and deeply weirded out that someone would fake my death for clicks. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been—stop falling for this garbage.” The rumor appears to originate from a hoax “celebrity tribute” page designed to harvest ad revenue. **REAL: Gilbert is safe. FAKE: The death report.**