Although there is no evidence that Brown was directly responsible for the hoax, this wouldn’t be the first time a celebrity’s name has been used in a prank.
Both Kanye West and Bill Cosby were falsely reported to have been killed in car accidents.
Comic Sinbad was reported to have died of a heart attack as a result of a bombing.
Jaleel White, better known as Steve Urkel, the character he portrayed on the sitcom “Family Matters,” was said to have committed suicide in late 2005, after his acting career took a downward turn.
Regardless of who’s responsible, the artist or a hyperactive PR machine, trying to stimulate the public’s interest through an erroneous report of somebody’s demise is just plain tacky.
–christian johnson
