Justin Timberlake is the latest celebrity victim of a death hoax after a false report claimed that the singer was involved in a car accident.
Celebrities are common targets of death hoaxes, and it seems that Justin Timberlake is the latest victim to stir up the public's emotions. Over the weekend, fans on Twitter broke into a frenzy when a false death report went viral on the Internet.
The report was allegedly composed by satire website Mediamass, whose "R.I.P. Justin Timberlake" Facebook page declared that the singer passed away on Saturday. The false news attracted millions of users.
The Facebook page posted: "At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (August 16, 2014), our beloved singer Justin Timberlake passed away. Justin Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page."
The Facebook account has now been deleted. Fans were angered by the false report and took to various social networking sites to vent out their emotions.
"Whoever started this RIP Justin Timberlake, we are going to find you and bash your head!" wrote one annoyed Twitter user, while another added: "RIP Justin Timberlake? you really gotta be kidding me, wtf is this, WHY DO YOU GUYS KEEP KILLING PEOPLE?"
Timberlake himself is no stranger to a death hoax, as this is the second time reports have claimed his "death." In July 2013, another report stated that the singer had died in a car accident.
Global Associated News, a website specializing in generating fake stories, reported the death saying, "Timberlake died in a single vehicle crash on Route 80 between Morristown and Roswell. At the time, it was reported that Timberlake was over-speeding, which resulted in the accident." To give the report a rather realistic look, there was also a picture of an overturned vehicle with a photo of the singer beside it.
"He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics responding to the vehicle accident and was identified by photo ID found on his body," the site noted, according to Travelers Today. "Highway Safety Investigators have told reporters that Justin Timberlake lost control while driving a friend's vehicle on Interstate 80 and rolled the vehicle several times killing him instantly."
Other stars that have been victimized by such hoaxes this year include Miley Cyrus, Zayn Malik, Rihanna and Lil Wayne.
