Celebrity deaths have always been a source for conspiracies, but since the pandemic they are increasingly being weaponised by far-right internet users, including QAnon sympathisers, antivaxxers and more.

ISD Analyst Aoife Gallagher spoke to Business Insider about the fixation on celebrities by these communities, recent blending of theories, and the recurring theme throughout. This has always meant that public figures deaths are supposedly the result of “trying to expose the truth”, but since the pandemic this is also linked to conspiratorial depopulation plans.

“People who believe in this will then see news of sudden celebrity deaths and immediately link it to the [COVID] vaccine,” Aoife said. “We can expect this to go on for years to be honest, as many of the influencers claim that the vaccines are made to kill people over the space of 5-10 years.”