Rumors begin to swirl on social media Sunday afternoon, Nov. 30, after the obituary of 97-year-old screen icon Kirk Douglas was accidentally published by People magazine on its website with the headline "DO NOT PUB," BBC reports.

Douglas, who turns 98 on Dec. 9, has yet to make a statement.

Oddly enough, Douglas told Entertainment Tonight that he wanted to live to 100 years old a week prior to the incident. In defense, The Huffington Post noted that most news organizations pen obituaries for notable people in advance. 

"Kirk Douglas, one of the few genuine box-office names to emerge just as TV was overtaking American culture in the years right after World War II, died TK TK TK," the article said according the Huffington Post, with the "TK" referring to copy "to come." The article added: "He was 97 (DOB 12/9/1916) and had been in good health despite having suffered a debilitating 1996 stroke that rendered his speech difficult."

For that publication, Douglas penned an editorial in regards to his friend Elaine Stritch after she passed at the age of 89 earlier this year. A year prior, Douglas also reflected on life, writing, "I won't pretend that getting older is easy, but I find that it's given me a perspective that I lacked when I was younger."

"Now, I treasure the quiet times: reading books that make me think about new ideas; watching my roses bloom; gazing at the palm trees shimmering against the afternoon sky; seeing the simple path of a cloud across the sky; and especially sitting with Anne in front of the fire at sunset -- the Golden Hour," he continued in that Huffington post article.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the obituary had a timestamp of Sept. 29 on the tribute, although it's not clear if that's when the article was published. Since it hit the Web, the obituary has been removed, however it sparked reaction on Twitter and Facebook.

Within the post, there were various details about Douglas' accomplishments and career highlights spanning six decades and some 75 motion pictures, including the 1951 Billy Wilder film noir "Ace in the Hole," the 1952 MGM melodrama "The Bad and the Beautiful" and the critically-acclaimed 1956 Vincent Van Gogh biopic "Lust for Life."

Douglas was ranked No. 17 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male screen legends in American film history, making him one of two honorees (alongside Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier) still alive on the list.

Noted for his star turns in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) and "Spartacus" (1960), Douglas received the Academy Honorary Award "for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community" in 1996. According to Huffington Post, his 11th book, "Life Could Be Verse," goes on sale Wednesday, Nov. 3.