Giant Drag's Annie Hardy played a messed up joke. News of Hardy's death circulated the internet Sunday after an obituary graphic was posted on her Instagram, Facebook, and Threads accounts. It featured the words "RIP Annie Hardy" and "June 5, 1981 - Oct 3, 2026" above a photo that musician Joel Jerome wrote in the Instagram comments that he took her of playing his drums.
The full post read: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Annie -Summer Hardy. A caring friend to many, a friend to the Animals and a follower of Jesus Christ. Please respect the families wish for privacy during this difficult time. Services to be announced in the days to come Rest in Peace, Annie. The world will never be the same."
Hardy has a reputation for being an edgelord, so many commenters on her IG hoped it was a sick joke while acknowledging it would be unlikely for anyone to post such a thing. "You make a lot of edge jokes dude but this too far fucking call me back," Shaki Tavi commented. "Oh my god. What horrible news," wrote Warren Ellis.
Turns out Hardy is not dead, and this may have been an incredibly dark gag. Jed Shepherd — who co-wrote the 2021 horror movie Dashcam, which co-stars Hardy and is based on her recently revived online series Band Car — posted a few updates on his Instagram. "I'm really hoping this is one of Annie's jokes. I'm on my way to her house to check on her right now. Will update everyone who is asking," he said in his first post.
"Update: I went to her house and we found a video of her planning the prank. She is ALIVE and I'm pissed af," he wrote in another. It's confusing and unnerving what the video might have been and how elaborate Hardy was willing to go with all of this.
Shepherd found her and revealed it was "prank" and "we are all pissed at her." He also posted a "proof of life" photo. Hardy deleted the social posts few hours later. The whole ordeal was a giant drag.
Hardy and Giant Drag are still active. There was a Giant Drag single, "SBHG (Ava's Theme)," on Halloween last year, and Hardy played some concerts in Los Angeles, where she lives, over the summer, most recently at Project Space at the end of August. She posted last week how she is shifting her focus back to music and has a show on Oct. 15 at the Redwood Bar in LA.
