is 他者 actually a bad word or am i trippin

ok so I keep seeing 他者 but someone told me you can only use it in like... legal stuff? or if a 審判 is talking? but then I think I heard a myth that if you say 他者 to someone's face it means you think they are basically dead like a 故人 or something?? wait is that crazy lol. i always mix it up with other words and now im scared to use it at all. maybe i just shouldn't talk to anyone idk