Outrage as Michael J Fox's Parkinson's diagnosis is described as a 'fun fact' by E! to millions of Golden Globes TV viewers

The E! Entertainment network is apologizing to actor Michael J. Fox for an online graphic during its Golden Globes coverage that listed his Parkinson's Disease as a 'fun fact'

Social media lit up in fury after the graphic appeared during E!'s live stream coverage



The E! Entertainment network has apologized to Michael J. Fox after viewers witnessed a grossly insensitive screen graphic which referred to his diagnosis with Parkinsons Disease as a 'fun fact'.

Twitter exploded with rage at the network for its message which declared that the popular 52-year-old Back to the Future and Spin City actor has been suffering the degenerative condition for 22-years.

Responding to the widely condemned screen graphic, E! issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, 'We regret the insensitive classification of Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's diagnosis during our Eonline live stream. We understand the serious nature of the disease and sincerely apologize.'

The graphic was shown during E!'s live stream of red carpet coverage Sunday, although not on TV. As the actor was entering the Beverly Hills Hilton, the 'fun fact' graphic noted Fox's diagnosis in 1991. Fox was nominated for best actor in a comedy for his new NBC show.

Insensitive: Golden Globe viewers were horrified when E!'s idea of some light hearted information about Michael J. Fox [pictured with wife Tracy Pollen] included details on his illness Parkinson's

Horrified: The Twittersphere erupted in outrage after E! shared this 'fun fact' during the Golden Globes



Outrage: This Twitter user clearly expressed their thoughts on the decision to label Michael J. Fox's diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease a fun fact

Anger: The popular actor has bravely continued to work despite his diagnosis with the degenerative condition and Twitter was extremely critical of E!

A barrage of tweets blasted the message with user Adam Milligan writing: 'in what world is this considered to be a "fun" fact (sic),' Aisling Keehan wrote 'NOT A FUN FACT AT ALL (sic),' and Paige F. MacGregor fumed 'Somewhere, a graphics person should be fired.'

The gaffe led to a series of memes on Twitter with users inserting their own insensitive messages into the fact box.



These included '37 cats died during the making of Inside Llewyn Davis' and 'there is no afterlife, just eternal nothingness'

Michael, who rose to fame on Family Ties and went on the star in the Back to the Future movies, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991.

Another fun fact: Mocking E! and their Michael J. Fox graphic - Twitter and the Internet set to work to make fun of their serious error

Is this fun? This fact seems to take the mocking of E! slightly further in reference to the Coen brothers new movie

He attended the awards looking dapper in a black suit with his wife Tracy Pollan, who looked beautiful in a full length blue dress with a gold clutch.

While Fox has struggled with his fate over the years he previously said he wouldn't change his diagnosis even if he could.

'If I walked into a room with God or Buddha or Bill Gates or Sergey Brin or whoever could figure out a way to fix it for me, I don't think I'd do it,' he told Rolling Stone.

‘Because I wouldn't have gone through what I've gone through and I wouldn't have had the experience I've had, and I can still do my s**t. At the end of the day I can still do a show. So what have I lost?'

'The point is, we all have our bag of hammers. We all have our own s**t. It's like the parable about this circle of people and everyone takes their worst problem and puts it in the middle and they all get to choose one to take back – and they all end up choosing their own. And that's kind of it. You'd always take your own problems back over someone else's.'

After a multiple year absence from a full time sitcom, the Family Ties star made his return to television with NBC's The Michael J. Fox Show last year.

Diagnosis: Michael, who rose to fame on Family Ties and went on the star in the Back to the Future movies, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991

'I like the idea of having started playing the son on a family show,' he said. 'Then an adult in a workplace, and now playing a middle-aged father at home. It's nice – it's a good arc.'

The actor is somewhat of a medical anomaly. He was told that he would have to step away from the big and small screen within 10 years of his original diagnosis.

'I just don't tell myself that I can't do it,' he explained. 'Then I just do it. A show is easier to regulate than life. There's no surprises, really. You know what you have to do in a given day, and you rest and medicate accordingly. I'm shocked at how much easier this is than I thought it would be.'

The Spin City star hasn't always had it so easy, though. Not too long after he was first diagnosed, he slipped into alcoholism, using the haze of booze to numb the pain.

Michael had been married to Family Ties co-star Tracy for only three years and the couple had a son - Sam - when he got the news.

'I was at a loss as to how to deal with it,' he says. 'The idea of, "Did I suck this woman into a bum deal and have a kid right away and then fall into this situation?" It was much easier to have a buzz going and not deal with the reality of it.'

The actor subsequently entered treatment and now has four children with Tracy.

Medical anomaly: The actor is somewhat of a medical anomaly as he was told that he would have to step away from the big and small screen within 10 years of his original diagnosis













