Lenny Kravitz’s representatives have dismissed a viral claim suggesting the rock star was among the nine people killed after a private jet crashed into a Palm Beach County neighborhood on Sunday, November 1.
As disturbing footage of the Learjet 60 exploding near a busy roadway spread across the internet, a fake social media post falsely linked Kravitz to the fatal flight. “The reports are untrue and incorrect,” his publicist told BocaNewsNow.
The aircraft took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas before crashing near Cresthaven Blvd. and Military Trail at approximately 12:50 p.m. The jet narrowly avoided nearby vehicles and homes before hitting the ground close to a mobile home park, bringing down power lines and creating what Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores described as a “massive crater.”
All nine passengers aboard the aircraft lost their lives, while authorities reported no immediate injuries among people on the ground.
Kravitz was falsely linked to the tragedy through an alleged screenshot attributed to 21-year-old pilot Emily Shelton, who made national headlines in August after successfully landing an aircraft on a highway.
The fabricated post claimed Shelton was scheduled to fly the “Fly Away” singer from Austin to the Bahamas and intended to play “It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over” in the cockpit. However, neither Kravitz nor Shelton was aboard the crashed Learjet.
“I was recently made aware that there are rumors that I was the pilot of the recent crash in Palm Beach,” Shelton wrote on TikTok, in a video that has since been made private. “I would like to respectfully clarify I was not.”
She also called on social media users to stop spreading false information and show consideration for everyone affected by the tragedy.
Meanwhile, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the family of 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras confirmed that she was among those aboard the aircraft. She had obtained her pilot’s license while still in high school.
Recordings from the cockpit captured the crew’s final moments as they struggled with a severe descent. After reporting moderate turbulence and stating that they were “managing the ice,” someone aboard issued a Mayday call, reporting that the Learjet was descending at 10,000 feet per minute.
The situation quickly deteriorated, with one voice warning, “We’re going to crash into the ground,” before the final recorded words: “We’re out of time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the crash, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
