Celebrity Internet Hoaxes
A career milestone only met by a select few; conspiracies, babies, even death - you know you've REALLY made it when you're the subject of an internet hoax
Rex FeaturesMegan Fox is no stranger to controversy but even she must have been a little shocked to see "RIP Megan Fox" trending on Twitter in 2013. American website Gossip Cop falsely reported that that the actress had died in a single vehicle crash, and the rumour took off from there!
Getty ImagesOnce rumours of a relationship between Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson began circulating, it was only a matter of time before someone threw a baby into the equation. Back in July 2009, reports claimed that K-Stew was pregnant with a mini R-Patz. Obviously this turned out not to be true!
Rex FeaturesHarry Potter starlet Emma Watson was "killed off" in 2009 after a vicious internet posting claimed the then-20-year-old actress had suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage in a London car crash.
Rex Features"Alexa Chung to be the face of Chitlins" - imagine our surprise when that humdinger landed in our inbox. Obviously, Alexa isn’t to be the spokesperson for boiled pigs' intestinal snacks, it was merely a hoax post from a prankster site. The lil’ scamps.
Getty ImagesGLAMOUR’s Sexiest Man Alive Robert Pattinson got his first taste of fame one month before Twilight’s release in 2008, when the internet was abuzz with rumours he had died. Numerous reports claimed R-Patz had taken a fatal overdose of heroin and had been discovered in a New York hotel room. Thankfully Rob is alive and well, and still causing teen hearts to beat uncontrollably.
Rex FeaturesAfter those nude snaps of wholesome High School Musical starlet Vanessa Hudgens hit the web, she became an easy target for hoaxers. Prank reports since the incident include that Vanessa was arrested for underage drinking after being caught in a Hollywood club, and even that there was a Christmas-themed sex tape doing the rounds. Ooh-er.
PA PhotosTwitter went into overdrive when Jackie Chan was rumoured to have suffered a fatal heart attack. But it was all due to a mix-up in trending topics. #RIP actually meant Really Inspiring Person. Lol!
PA PhotosPoor Paris Hilton - the socialite seems to be an easy target for hoaxers. Since stepping into the spotlight, such internet hoaxes have included rumours she had been stabbed in jail, that she had become a spokesperson for “binge-drinking elephants in India” and that she wants to be cryogenically frozen with her dogs when she dies.
PA PhotosTaylor Lautner is much more susceptible than his alter-ego, Jacob Black – so who could blame the countless teens that wept over his supposed death of a cocaine overdose in January 2010. Luckily, unless our favourite werewolf doubles up as a zombie, it all turned out to be hoax.
PA PhotosAs well as rumours that she had died (started by Peaches Geldof on Twitter, no less), Miley Cyrus was reported to be pregnant in a 2007 hoax, after a doctored magazine article appeared online quoting the then-14-year-old as saying: “I'm going to take good care of my baby, I've already gained seven pounds… I was in real shock when it happened accidentally, I went a little to [sic] far. I'm sorry to all of my fans."
PA PhotosIn April 2010, Chris Martin posted to Coldplay’s website that the band were entering the celebrity fragrance market, with the release of their first perfume, Angst. Chris wrote: “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. People like to smell nice and we thought we could help them out.” What some fans failed to notice, after trying to buy the “sold out” fragrance from Coldplay’s online store, was the date (1 April). Those kidders!
PA PhotosBack in October 2008, tweens the world over wept as news broke that High School Musical hunk
Zac Efron had died in a car accident. The star said: “I was really shocked to find out – and my mom was really upset too when I called and told her!”
PA PhotosBefore Michael Jackson’s actual death in June 2009, conspiracy theories had been rife on the internet that the self-proclaimed King of Pop had died 18-20 years before, and an “other-worldly” impostor had been playing the role of Jacko ever since.
PA PhotosYou’ve all heard of it, some of you have probably received it; that email claiming Oprah Winfrey kicked Tommy Hilfiger off her show for being racist has been circulating since 1996. Oprah herself was eventually forced to post a statement on her website, reading: “Tommy Hilfiger has never appeared on this show. READ MY LIPS, Tommy Hilfiger HAS NEVER APPEARED ON THIS SHOW. It never happened.”
PA PhotosTom Cruise is no stranger to the bizarre world of the internet hoax. As well as “dying” after falling off a cliff in 2008 and being “killed in a plumbing accident” in 2010 – the actor’s publicist was forced to make a statement after a spoof interview appeared on line, claiming Tom had said he was the reincarnation of Shakespeare (thanks to his Scientology beliefs), and that he was a poet, composer, medicine man and discoverer in his many previous lives.
PA PhotosRocker Marilyn Manson was NOT in TV show The Wonder Years – FACT! Also, Marilyn did NOT kill puppies, chickens or any other animals during one of his live shows in 1999. Internet hoaxers, leave the poor man alone!
PA Photos"RIP Kanye West" became a huge Trending Topic on Twitter in 2009 after rumours began circulating that the rap superstar had died in a car crash. His then-girlfriend, model Amber Rose, eventually posted to the blogging site: “This 'RIP KanyeWest' topic is not funny and it’s NOT TRUE! He has people like myself and his family that love him very much" (sic).
PA PhotosHeidi Montag became the victim of a Twitter hack in 2010 when false posts appeared on her profile to teen singing sensation Justin Bieber, labelling him a "cutie" and suggesting he join her in a joint photoshoot. However, Heidi blamed her then-estranged hubby and Hills co-star Spencer Pratt for the posts, updating her Twitter to read: “I didn't write that thing about Bieber my fame hoer x husband hacked my Twitter and wrote that he is so lame!" (sic). Ouch.
PA PhotosOprah Winfrey’s good name was targeted by hoaxers in 2009 after a spam email made the rounds claiming recipients had been nominated for the Oprah Millionaire Contest Show. All you had to do was supply your personal details and cover the cost of the airfare. Okay…
PA PhotosRock legend Van Morrison became the victim of web pranksters when hackers targeted his website and announced that he had a new son by a mistress, who was "the spitting image of his daddy". Van himself was forced to post a retraction, saying: "For the avoidance of all doubt and in the interests of clarity, I am very happily married to Michelle Morrison with whom I have two wonderful children."
PA PhotosBack in 1999, some joker sent a hoax email claiming that Bill Gates of Microsoft was sharing his fortune; every time you forwarded the email on to a friend; Microsoft would pay you $5, no less. Unsurprisingly, Bill didn’t pay out.
PA PhotosThankfully, he of chiselled perfection, Johnny Depp is still alive and well and living in France, despite an internet rumour that claimed the hottie had met his end in Bordeaux after a boozy trip led to a fatal car crash.
PA PhotosNot only was Eminem “killed off” in a fatal car crash in 2000 (and unbelievably, varying versions of this hoax are still circulating the web 13 years later), his fans were also duped in 2009 when some joker began circulating that his much-anticipated album, The Recovery, was to be leaked on the internet. Slim Shady fans everywhere were sorely disappointed when, after much painful searching, they had to wait almost a year later for tracks to actually hit the web.
PA PhotosPeter Andre was forced to announce that he was still alive after internet rumours claimed he had died of meningitis in 2007 – and more than 30,000 fans posted messages of condolences to his website. Peter had contracted viral meningitis at the time, but made a full recovery.
PA PhotosFans of the Jonas Brothers everywhere were doubly stunned when web postings claimed that highly-religious, anti-sex-before-marriage Nick Jonas had not only died of cardiac arrest, but that his body was discovered at a popular strip bar in Dallas.
PA PhotosAn easy target for hoaxers obviously, rapper Lil’ Kim has been the victim of some bizarre and just downright disgusting internet pranks in her time. Most recently, a bogus press release did the rounds claiming Kim was campaigning to run for Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey (?), and before that, the diminutive rap star was reported to have had her stomach pumped after a night spent ingesting too much, ahem, male ‘love juice’. Ewww!
PA PhotosWhen Ricky Martin announced he was gay in 2009, what was really surprising was the internet hoax that came after, claiming the singer was joking.
PA PhotosAll-action, big-nuts superstar Matt Damon was forced to clear up rumours that he’d plummeted to his death from a mountain-top on David Letterman’s show in 2009, saying: "I feel pretty good… I don't even know where I bit the dust.”
PA PhotosBut Matt Damon - ever the joker – had a little fun of his own in 2009, starting an online rumour that his pal, George Clooney was planning to “marry his boyfriend soon”, a hoax which could have led to a man stripping off in front of Gorgeous George at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.
Bigpicturesphoto.comHe of lustrous locks, Justin Bieber had only been tickled by the fickle finger of fame for a matter of months when he became the target of numerous internet hoaxes. They included a vote that asked where he should tour next (North Korea won), that he had broken his neck in a car crash, died of a drug overdose, and contracted syphilis…
PA PhotosBritney Spears has been the subject of many a’ death hoax since stepping into the spotlight back in ’99, but the most bizarre one yet? That Britney and her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake had been hit and killed by a Pretzel van. The hoax was sent around the world via email and Britney’s publicist was forced to make a statement denying it.
