Michael B. Jordan Receives Apology From Angela Bassett's Son For TikTok Death Prank

The trend of telling parents and other family members that celebrities have died has gained over 750 million users creating videos under the aligned hashtag page.

The teen played the pranked by reading aloud a false headline announcing that Black Panther star Micheal B. Jordan died at age 35. Slater recorded his parent’s reaction to the headline showing Bassett, 64, placing her hand over her chest, saying “uh-uh” in shocking disbelief. Courtney, 62, turned around and told his son, “Stop it, you’re playing.”

Fans commented on the viral video that Slater’s actions were disturbing after his mother lost her friend and Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman two years ago to cancer.

“I apologize to Michael B. Jordan’s entire family, his extended family and him directly as he is an idol of mine,” Slater said in his apology video. “Taking part in a trend like this is completely disrespectful. I don’t wish any bad ramifications upon his family nor my parents, as they deserve none of the backlash.”

“I own this was a mistake,” Slater, a musician, said in his apology while seemingly holding back tears. “I hope this can be a teaching lesson to anyone who uses social media as a tool and a source of entertainment to truly understand that your actions can have consequences that extend beyond you.”

Although some offered harsh critiques toward Slater, others defended him, expressing that his young age played a part in his choice and forgave his teenage ways. Slater has since deleted his Instagram following his apology.