Fact check: Is KSI dead? Funeral claim debunked

In a bizarre turn of events, Olajide "KSI" Olatunji fell victim to a death hoax that went viral over the weekend, conning his fans into believing that the YouTuber had died.

As indicated by the term 'hoax,' this rumor is false since the rapper is alive and well. What is even more peculiar is the fact that this is not the first time the boxer has dealt with death rumors. In a video from 2020, he googled his name and the first search result that popped up, funnily enough, was 'Is KSI dead?' It sent the Briton into hysterics as he asked:

"Are people really searching that?"

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How did KSI's death hoax surface?

KSI fans were sent into a frenzy on Monday morning, May 23, when 'KSI's funeral' suddenly started trending on Twitter and YouTube. However, this was a false alarm since the funeral in question was not for the rapper himself, but rather for his pet hamster Morpheus.

The memorial service was organised by fellow content creator and YouTuber Calfreezy, whose real name is Callum Leighton Airey. On May 21, he uploaded a 20-minute video titled 'I Held A Funeral For KSI's Hamster..." which has amassed over 3.4 million views and 446k likes as of the time of writing.

Despite the title clearly making the distinction that the funeral was for the hamster, Morpheus, the keyword that trended was 'KSI's Funeral,' which is what prompted the death hoax to surface in the first place. It certainly gave the rapper's wide fanbase a fright.

Many long-term fans of the British YouTuber would be familiar with how fond he was of his pet hamster, who featured in several of his videos. Though the entire memorial service was organised as more of a joke than anything genuine, KSI did not treat it as such. At the beginning of the video, he admitted:

"This is the first funeral I've ever been to. This is literally my first loss, my [first bereavement]."

His inexperience with funerals was evident in the way he dressed as well. His casual attire of a grey long-sleeved T-shirt with black pants was a sharp contrast from everyone else's formal black-tie attire.

After a series of comical 'tributes' to Morpheus, the priest called upon the influencer to deliver his eulogy for his beloved pet.

He began:

"Well thank you all for coming. I actually have written some words for Morpheus. First of all, I know I'm not dressed for the occasion. This is my first funeral so I'm quite new about it. I will be better. Also the hamster was grey, so I thought..."

KSI powered through despite the disruptive giggling and laughter from his friends, explaining what had happened to his pet:

"Morpheus was such an adventurous hamster. One morning I woke up and heard rustling besides my bed. I was so confused. I thought it was Simon trying to pull a prank on me or jump in bed with me because of a nightmare he had."

He continued:

"But no. I opened my eyes and no one was there. I looked down and it was Morpheus. He was literally rummaging through my bag. Now, I know you're wondering, 'How did the hamster get there?' I forgot to close the cage. He had escaped the cage."

He concluded the eulogy with a powerful quote:

"I read this thing online and thought it felt right to say it now. 'How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind?' Morpheus, or as I like to call him, Little Morph, my hamster, physically he is dead. But in all of our memories, he lives on. Goodbye for now, Morpheus. I will always remember you and love you."

During an emotional video tribute to Morpheus, KSI smiled wistfully, reminiscing about the good times they spent in the two years he had the hamster. Heartfelt tributes poured in from the fans as well in the comments under the video, mourning the rapper's pet's loss.