A respected American author named Michael Schumacher has died at age 75, sparking widespread confusion online because of his shared name with the Formula One legend.
Following news of his death, tributes mistakenly poured in for Michael Schumacher, the seven-time F1 world champion, who remains alive but has lived largely out of the public eye since a serious skiing accident in 2013. The confusion prompted online corrections as users clarified that it was the writer who had passed away, not the racing icon.
The Wisconsin-based Michael Schumacher died on December 29, according to confirmation from his daughter. He was known for acclaimed biographies of cultural figures, including Francis Ford Coppola, Eric Clapton, Allen Ginsberg, and Will Eisner.
The mix-up highlights how shared celebrity names can easily blur identities in the age of viral news. Click through to discover other famous figures who share the same name—and how to tell them apart!