FAMAS Sorry for False Death Report of Rosa Rosal
FAMAS – The Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences has issued an apology after mistakenly announcing the death of veteran actress Rosa Rosal, who is actually alive and well. The 97-year-old actress, whose real name is Florence Lansang Danon, is safe at home, according to her family.
On Friday evening, October 3, 2025, FAMAS posted a memorial card on its official social media page, saying that Rosal had passed away at the age of 96. The post also honored her as a FAMAS Hall of Famer for Best Actress and as the model for the FAMAS trophy. However, only minutes after it was uploaded, the post was deleted.
The false report was quickly corrected when entertainment writer Mell Navarro shared screenshots of his conversation with William Thio, Rosal’s grandson and a former actor-model now working as a news anchor. Thio denied the news and confirmed that his grandmother was alive. He explained that another grandmother—his maternal grandmother—had been in the hospital for a lung procedure, but Rosa Rosal, whom he calls “Tita Rose,” was fine and resting at home. To further prove this, Navarro also posted a short video of Rosal herself cheerfully greeting, “Merry Christmas,” which was filmed by Thio.
After the mistake spread online, FAMAS released an official statement of apology. The group admitted its error, apologized to Rosal’s family and supporters, and clarified that she is still alive. Their message read: “We sincerely apologize for an earlier post regarding the passing of Ms. Rosa Rosal. It has come to our attention that the information was false. Ms. Rosal remains with us, and we deeply regret any confusion or distress this may have caused her family, friends, and admirers.”
FAMAS added that it values truth and honesty and promised to be more careful in verifying sensitive information before making announcements. They assured the public that they will be stricter to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
