Monty Lopez, the father of TikTok star and singer Addison Rae, sparked death rumors this week after an obituary was posted to his official X account on Monday.
Hours later, Google and Wikipedia briefly listed Lopez as deceased, showing a date of death of August 3, 2026. The listings remained visible through most of Tuesday morning before being corrected.
Daily Mail said it had reached out to Lopez for comment but had not heard back.
"Monty Lopez will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality, his love for family and friends, and his ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Throughout his life, he cherished time with those he loved and worked to make a lasting impact through his relationships and experiences. He is survived by his children, family members, and loved ones, who will forever cherish the memories they shared with him. His legacy will live on through the lives he touched, the stories he created, and the love he gave. A celebration of his life will be announced by the family at an appropriate time."
Confusion deepened hours after the obituary appeared when an Instagram Story was posted on his account featuring the Drake song "Shebang," which fans took as a sign that he had not actually died.
Hospital Stay Documented Online
Lopez has worried fans in recent days by documenting a hospital stay on his social media without much context. On Monday, he wrote on X: "3rd trip to the ER in 2 weeks! come on man!!!"
Before that, he shared Instagram Story photos of his hands hooked up to health monitors and an IV drip while lying in a hospital bed.
Divorce and Custody Battle
The obituary and health scare come during a tumultuous stretch for Lopez, who filed for divorce from his wife, Kaitlyn Lopez, in May. He is separately battling Rae's mother for custody of their youngest son.
Lopez married Kaitlyn, then Kaitlyn Robins, in Las Vegas last October following a two-week courtship. The pair had met at a bar in Louisiana.
The divorce filing came days after police were called to the couple's home on April 23 for what began as a mental health call but turned into a criminal investigation, according to TMZ. On April 28, Lopez was arrested on a felony charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
A Long-Running Family Saga
The latest turmoil is the newest chapter in a long saga of family drama for Rae, who rose to fame in 2019 through her dance and lip-sync videos on TikTok.
Lopez and Rae's mother, Sheri Easterling, have waged their own legal battle for years. The two married in 2004, divorced in 2017, reconciled and remarried in 2018, then split again in 2022 following allegations that Lopez had an affair with a 25-year-old woman named Renee Ash.
In February, Easterling filed for sole custody of their youngest son, Lucas Lopez, 12, and sought child support, suggesting Lopez be granted only supervised visitation. Their other son, Enzo Lopez, is 18.
Abuse Allegations Dating to 2005
To support her case, Easterling described alleged verbal and physical abuse by Lopez going back to 2005, according to TMZ. She claimed he had been verbally abusive during their marriage, calling her names including a "stupid f***ing b****" and "worthless trash."
Easterling also alleged Lopez had slapped their daughter, Rae, "across the face with an open hand for talking back to him in 2008," when she was a minor.
In a later incident, Easterling claimed Lopez "beat her with a pillow and held it over her face so she couldn't breathe" after she rejected his sexual advances. She also alleged he "beat her on the legs and butt" during another fight in 2020. When Lopez arrived at her home on October 29 to introduce her to Kaitlyn, Easterling claimed he "violently banged on the door."
Lopez, a divorced father of four who also has a daughter named Mayce from a previous relationship, had reportedly known Kaitlyn, a former production supervisor, for only two weeks before marrying her in Las Vegas on October 25. Easterling has since remarried as well, wedding high school football coach Jess Curtis in 2024.
Felony Obscenity Charge
Easterling's court filing also cited Lopez's history of alcoholism and multiple DUI arrests, as well as a felony obscenity case she said was characteristic of his poor decision-making. The alleged incident took place on August 31, 2024, at a Walgreens in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Lopez reportedly exposed "his genitals, pubic hair, in a public place or place open to public view, or in any prison or jail, with the intent of arousing sexual desire or which appealed to the prurient interest or was patently offensive." He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Rae Has Spoken Openly About Her Father
Rae has been forthcoming about her difficult relationship with her dad. In a July 2020 episode of the podcast "That Was Fun, With Addison & Sheri," she told her mother: "You were a single mom for a good few years. From about three to six for me, Dad wasn't really in my life very much. I'm sure that was a personal decision on your part with Dad. You brought me to work with you all the time. That's where I remember being all the time."
She added: "You guys, I'm sure, kind of established that, like, 'Hey, we're gonna need some space. We need to have our time to figure things out.'"
