Seems like every day social media kills another celebrity. Recording artist Raz-B was the latest to be the subject of reports that he was in a coma after being hit by a bottle in China. His rep denies that his camp started the rumor, but it's just one of many hoaxes floating out there -- some that have been perpetuated by the stars themselves. Here are just a few...
Remember when The White Stripes -- Meg White and Jack White -- were claiming to be siblings? Turns out they were actually married. The two divorced in 1999 and the band broke up for good in 2011.
Singer Lauryn Hill may be strong in some of her opinions (she reportedly prefers to be called "Ms. Hill") but there appears to be no truth to the story that she told MTV she would rather her children starve than have white people buy her music.
Marilyn Manson is way out there, but he did not have a rib removed so that he could more easily ... pleasure himself.
Singer Billy Idol may sorta have the hairline for it, but he did not portray Eddie Munster on the television series "The Munsters." That was actor Butch Patrick.
That Richard Gere gerbil story just refuses to die. And that's all we are going to say about that one.
Call it a hoax or an urban legend, but the kid who played "Mikey" in the Life cereal commercial back in 1971 did not die from consuming Pop Rocks candy and soda. A now-adult John Gilchrist told Newsday back in 2012 that he still enjoys the cereal.
Author James Frey found success when he appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to talk about his book, "A Million Little Pieces." He also found scrutiny and shame when it was revealed that his memoir about struggling with addiction wasn't entirely true.
Prior to 2006, novelist J.T. LeRoy was thought to be a young male truck-stop prostitute and HIV-infected drug addict who chronicled his treacherous tales in critically acclaimed novels. But the persona was later revealed to be the invention of writer Laura Albert. In person, LeRoy was played by Savannah Knoop, who made appearances disguised as a man. Here LeRoy attends the 2005 premiere "his" movie, "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things," in Rome.
Star Jones let the world believe she relied on diet and exercise when she started shedding weight in 2003. She finally came clean in 2008, revealing she had gastric bypass surgery to lose more than 160 pounds. OK, this one might be more of a fib than a hoax, but plenty of people took the deception very personally -- including her former "The View" boss Barbara Walters.