The death of “Leave It to Beaver” star Tony Dow was prematurely announced Tuesday after his wife, Lauren Shulkind, accidentally notified the actor’s management team, according to TMZ.
Dow’s manager told the outlet that Shulkind, 75, was “extremely distraught” at the condition of her husband – who is currently in hospice – and believed he had been pronounced dead.
However, the actor, known for his role as Wally Cleaver, is said to be still alive.
Vidak For Congress has contacted the Dow representative for further clarification, but has not heard anything yet.
Earlier on Tuesday, Dow’s official Facebook page posted a now-deleted message from its management team announcing the actor’s death.
The statement – from Frank Bilotta and Renee James – read: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning.
“Tony was a beautiful soul – kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was a real pleasure just to be around him. His soft voice and unpretentious manner were instantly comforting and you couldn’t help but love him The world has lost a great person, but we are all richer because of the memories he left us.”
Dow, 77, and Shuklind announced in May that the “Still the Beaver” star had been diagnosed with cancer, but they didn’t disclose what type of cancer it was.
Dow’s management team then shared an update on their client’s health in a July 20 Facebook post that said the actor’s health had been a “roller coaster of ups and downs.”
“Tony has been in and out of hospital with various complications and treatments,” the statement said.
“He and Lauren have tried to maintain a positive spirit, although this sometimes proves difficult. The outpouring of love and concern from all of you is certainly helping to ease this, and for that we thank you. We’ll post again when there’s more to report. Until then, keep the good thoughts coming.”
Dow’s team did not post any statements on that Facebook page regarding the reported swapping of the death announcement.
Meanwhile, fans on social media have reacted to the conflicting news after sharing several tributes.
A person tweeted“Whether Tony Dow was dead or not was not on my 2022 Bingo card.”