False: The COVID-19 vaccine caused Tom Sizemore to suffer a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, leading to his death.

By: Annet Preethi Furtado
March 10 2023

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Context

On February 18, 2023, 61-year-old actor Tom Sizemore collapsed at his Los Angeles home after suffering a brain aneurysm and was taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center, a Los Angeles hospital. After being hospitalized, Sizemore remained in a coma and on life support. On February 27, the actor's representative, Charles Lago, said that Sizemore had no chance of recovery, adding that physicians had recommended the actor's family make an end-of-life decision. On March 3, the actor died after being taken off life support.

Following the extensive news coverage that Sizemore had died of a ruptured brain aneurysm, several anti-vaxxers on social media claimed that the COVID-19 vaccination caused the late actor's death; however, this is a false claim. 

In Fact

Sizemore's COVID-19 vaccination status is unknown, as neither he nor his family has made this information public. It is also not possible to infer that the actor received the COVID-19 vaccine as no laws or regulations mandate it in the United States. Consequently, the allegation that COVID-19 vaccination caused Sizemore's brain aneurysm is unfounded.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS), a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, says a bulging aneurysm can pressure a nerve or brain tissue. When blood leaks into nearby tissue, a hemorrhage may also occur if it bursts or ruptures. It adds that a ruptured aneurysm can result in significant health complications such as brain damage, unconsciousness, and even death.

However, there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause brain aneurysms, and it is not listed by any health agencies as a side effect or an adverse event associated with the jab. According to NINDS, there are several hereditary risk factors that cause aneurysms. Additionally, non-hereditary risk factors that lead to aneurysms include being over the age of 40, untreated high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and drug consumption – particularly cocaine or amphetamines – which elevate blood pressure to dangerously high levels.

The reason for Sizemore's aneurysm has not been publicized. However, the late actor had a long history of substance abuse and heroin addiction. The New York Times states that Sizemore had been in and out of rehab since the 1990s after experimenting with heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Sizemore also spoke about his struggle with addiction in his 2013 biography, ''By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There."

Anti-vaxxers have blamed deaths and certain health conditions on the COVID-19 vaccines without any supporting evidence since such vaccination programs were rolled out. These claims of deaths and injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have repeatedly been proven false. The CDC states that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and severe reactions are rare.

The Verdict

There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine caused Tom Sizemore to suffer a ruptured brain aneurysm. It is currently unknown if Sizemore was vaccinated against COVID-19, as he has never publicly mentioned his vaccination status. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.