Ruby Dee Dead? Twitter's Wrong, Actress is Alive and Well

Ruby Dee Dead? Twitter's Wrong, Actress is Alive and Well

Actress Ruby Dee's death was being reported all over social media, and especially Twitter, Tuesday and Wednesday, but it turns out the actress was fine all along.

The legendary 87-year-old performer - real name Ruby Ann Wallace -- perhaps best known for her role in the classic 1961 film A Raisin in the Sun opposite Sidney Poitier, was a hot topic on Twitter for a while, as hundreds of people re-Tweeted erroneous reports that she had passed away.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson sent a Tweet out Tuesday night informing his followers that Ruby Dee indeed was not dead.

The news of the passing of Ruby Dee HAS NOT BEEN confirmed, Jackson tweeted.

And the Daily News has spoken with Dee's son-in-law Bill Day, who said, as sure as I'm breathing nothing has happened to her.

Day told the News he thinks maybe Dee was confused for Heavy D, the rapper who died Tuesday afternoon, and went on to say that he called her just to hear her say it ain't so - and Day said it turns out she isn't even sick at all.

Dee has been nominated for an Oscar and won an Emmy in her long, varied film, television and stage career.