Seriously, I think it’s because people don’t see celebrities as humans, and because they’re scared of their own mortality.
I need someone to do a study on whether the popularity of fake!death conspiracy theories is seen more or less in people who live in countries where death is more normalised (either through war / natural disasters, or because they have strong cultural traditions linked to their ancestors.
(So, yeah, just a small, easy PhD topic for someone there!)
Honestly, though, I’m convinced that fake!death conspiracy theorists will be concentrated in countries where there’s a poor understanding of and relationship with death.