An AI-generated poster falsely announced the death of veteran Kannada actor Doddanna on June 12, 2026. The false report led to public confusion, with fans and industry colleagues sharing tribute messages believing the unverified reports to be true. The death rumours were without foundation and spread rapidly across social media platforms, including WhatsApp groups, according to latestly.com. A social media account named 'Public Friend' shared a post falsely claiming Doddanna had passed away, as reported by The Hindu. Doddanna personally clarified that he is alive and well and urged the public to disregard the misinformation. According to The Hindu, Doddanna filed a cyber complaint over the fake death rumours. The family might have been emotionally affected by the false reports.