Marie Osmond Recalls the Time Her Daughter Thought She Died Because of a False Report

Heartbreaking. Marie Osmond revealed one of her daughters once thought she died after an inaccurate report circulated around the media years ago.

The “Paper Roses” songstress opened up about the tragic situation as she and fellow The Talk cohosts discussed the heartbreaking helicopter crash that claimed the lives of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others over the weekend.

“There was a report on one of the websites that I had died,” the 60-year-old beauty confessed during the CBS daytime show on Wednesday, January 29. “I was on an airplane at the time, and my daughter, who lives in Arizona, she kept trying to get a hold of me, and she couldn’t.”

It wasn’t until Marie stepped off her flight that she realized something was wrong. “I saw that I had missed all these calls and I thought something had happened, so I called her,” the legendary performer — who is the proud mom of kids Stephen, 36, Jessica, 32, Rachael, 30, Brandon, 23, Brianna, 22, Matthew, 20, and Abigail, 17, and late son Michael — explained. “And she goes, ‘Mom, you’re alive!'”

As she recalled the unfortunate moment, the old news article appeared on the massive TV screen onstage and read “Breaking News: Fans Mourn the Loss of Marie Osmond.”

The topic first came into discussion after former basketball star Rick Fox criticized the media’s early reports claiming he perished alongside Kobe. The former L.A. Lakers star was 41 years old when the private helicopter he was on unexpectedly crashed in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, January 26.

After Rick — who shares daughter Sasha, 19, with ex-wife Vanessa Williams — recalled the terrifying moment his family thought he died, Marie couldn’t help but relate to the unimaginable struggle. “So I think, I understand that Kobe is a celebrity and a public figure, but you have to remember these other people, they’re human beings,” the Donny & Marie star reasoned after the clip from NBA on TNT’s Kobe Bryant special ended.

Earlier this week, the beloved artist sent her sweetest condolences to Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, and the couple’s three surviving children, Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months. The Dancing With the Stars alum, who lost her son Michael to suicide in 2010, broke out in tears as she tried to imagine what the Bryant family was going through.

“You said he was one of the greatest players of all time, but I think he’s one of the greatest human beings, as far as service and caring about people,” Marie emotionally shared on January 27. “I know my heart is broken for Vanessa. Because I know what it’s like to lose a child, but I can’t imagine what she’s going through to lose the love of her life and a child.”