Veteran NFL Network sideline reporter Jane Slater has been forced to publicly confirm she is alive and well after becoming the victim of a heartless online death hoax this weekend.
A Disturbing Discovery on Social Media
The unsettling episode began on Sunday when Slater, 45, discovered a fabricated news report circulating online. The bogus article falsely claimed the respected journalist had been a victim of domestic abuse and had died. An innocent follower on the platform X, formerly Twitter, shared a screenshot of the fake story, prompting Slater to step in and clarify the situation.
Displaying remarkable poise, Slater addressed the claims with a mix of humour and bewilderment. When asked if she had passed away, she replied: 'I don't think so? But does this mean there is glitch in the matrix? I'm gonna wrap myself in bubble wrap until NYE.'
Glaring Errors Expose the Fake
The malicious post was quickly exposed as a fraud not just by its content, but by its poor arithmetic. The screengrab listed Slater's age as 40 but claimed she lived from 1980 until 2025, a timeline that simply doesn't add up. Slater herself pointed out the discrepancy, writing: 'Yeah math not mathing in it. Proof we slipped into a different timeline during Covid.'
Fans and colleagues were swift to rally around the reporter, with one declaring online: 'Protect Jane at all costs! National treasure type coverage.' Slater later joked that she was channelling 'Lazarus energy' after several remarks that she had 'risen'.
There is speculation that the hoax may have been clumsily adapted from a genuine tragedy. It is suspected the article originally linked to reports about the suspected murder-suicide of sports reporter Christina Chambers in Birmingham, Alabama, who was found dead alongside her husband last week. However, aside from Slater's photo, the details in Sunday's fake post differed.
Not an Isolated Incident for NFL Media
Alarmingly, Slater is not the first NFL media figure to be erroneously declared dead this season. Last month, long-time sideline reporter, announcer and former Buffalo Bills special teamer Steve Tasker, 63, had to issue a similar 'proof of life' post on X.
Tasker simply stated 'I'm fine' to refute the false claims. In a parallel to Slater's experience, the bogus article about Tasker also misreported his age, stating he was 62 but born in 1986. One frustrated fan noted online: 'It's comical how it says age 62, but then has you born in 1986. I'm glad that you're fine and alive, but people also need to pay attention to details like that.'
Tasker's appearance on The Sean McDermott Show earlier the same day further proved the report false. The respected analyst, who was named a Pro Football Hall of Fame senior semi-finalist in November, continues his regular media work without interruption.
These incidents highlight a disturbing trend of targeted online harassment against public figures in sports media, forcing them to defend their very existence against callous and fabricated claims.
