Fact check: Video falsely claims to show DMX's body leaving White Plains Hospital
The claim: Video shows DMX's body leaving White Plains Hospital
Following reports that rapper DMX, born Earl Simmons, died after suffering a heart attack, a video went viral on social media purporting to show his body leaving White Plains Hospital in New York.
DMX was first rushed April 2 to that hospital, where he was on life support for over a week, according to the Associated Press.
The viral video, which was shared to Facebook on April 11, showcases a large crowd of people dancing to "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" as they surround a gray van that is slowly driving down the busy street.
"DMX's body leaving White Plains hospital," the user captioned the post, which has over 2,000 reactions.
Similar versions of the claim have been shared to TikTok, Twitter, minutegoal.com and YouTube. Some users posting the same video wrote that it was captured in Orlando, Florida, while some claimed it was in Los Angeles.
"DMX's body leaving White Plains Hospital. He truly impacted many souls through his rap music and existence. #RestInPowerDMX Earl Simmon(s)," one user captioned the video on Twitter.
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user for comment.
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Video captured in Orlando
It's unclear exactly when the video originated, but the footage was not taken in White Plains and does not show DMX's body leaving the hospital.
A street sign in the video reveals it was captured on Pine Street in downtown Orlando, outside Corona Cigar Company, which can be seen in the background of the video. The scene in the video matches the Google Street View outside that store.
Another indicator the crowd is in Florida is a vehicle seen at the end of the video marked with "City of Orlando."
Fans gather outside of White Plains Hospital
While the video does not show DMX fans gathering in White Plains, a crowd of supporters did pay tribute to the rapper in his final days.
When DMX was on life support April 12, hundreds of fans packed the sidewalks in front of White Plains Hospital's emergency entrance for a prayer vigil that later turned into a rally, according to Fox 5 New York.
Photos of a rally for DMX in New York were captured by photographer Angela Weiss for Getty Images on April 5 and do not resemble the scene in the video taken in Orlando.
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Hours after DMX's death, fans assembled a makeshift memorial wall and left flowers, candles, stuffed animals and balloons outside of White Plains Hospital to honor him, Complex reported.
On April 13, DMX's family released a statement saying, "We will keep the public posted on funeral/memorial service arrangements," according to People.
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Our rating: False
A video claiming to show DMX's body leaving White Plains Hospital in New York is FALSE, based on our research. The video shows a group of fans gathering in Orlando to pay tribute to DMX and listen to his songs. Fans created a makeshift wall outside of White Plains Hospital to pay tribute to DMX.
Our fact-check sources:
Visit Orlando, accessed April 11, Corona Cigar Company's Superstore & Cigar Bar
April Reign, April 11, tweet
Fox 5 New York, April 6, "Prayer vigil for rapper DMX held outside White Plains Hospital"
Getty Images, April 5, US-MUSIC-DMX-CELEBRITY
Getty Images, April 5, US-MUSIC-DMX-CELEBRITY
Getty Images, April 5, TOPSHOT-US-MUSIC-DMX-CELEBRITY
Associated Press, April 10, "Remembering DMX: Private, public memorial in the works for late rapper, family spokesperson says"
Complex, April 9, "DMX Fans Create makeshift Memorial Outside Hospital Following His Death"
People, April 13, "DMX's Family Releases Statement on 'Rumors' About His Memorial Service, Master Recordings"
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Video falsely claims to show DMX's body leaving Hospital
