Hoaxsters set up fake US Weekly and TMZ websites to fool half the Internet on Sunday with reports that Seinfeld actor Wayne Knight was killed in a tractor-trailer accident.
"Actor Wayne Knight, better known to most for playing one of the most indelible roles on NBC's 'Seinfeld' as the charater 'Newman' is dead and two other passengers are critically injured after their vehicle slammed into a disabled semi-tractor-trailer late Saturday night along Route 446 near the Pennsylvania-New York state border in Eldred Township," usmagazine.us breathlessly reported.
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The address for the website, designed to resemble the real US Magazine website, was registered on Saturday by a man in San Antonio, Texas, according to WhoIs records. The creator of the hoax website did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Kane-based state police have identified the deceased as the lovable 'Newman,'" added tmz.today — a website that resembles the real TMZ.
But good news, Seinfeld fans. Wayne Knight, the actor who played Newman on the popular sitcom, is not dead.
Some of you will be glad to hear this, others strangely disappointed, but….I am alive and well!
— Wayne Knight (@iWayneKnight) March 16, 2014
"Some of you will be glad to hear this, others strangely disappointed, but….I am alive and well!" the actor tweeted Sunday afternoon.
Does someone have to DIE to trend? Geez! Thanks for all the love everybody. I didn’t know you cared. Glad to be breathing!
— Wayne Knight (@iWayneKnight) March 16, 2014
"Does someone have to DIE to trend? Geez! Thanks for all the love everybody. I didn’t know you cared. Glad to be breathing!" he added.
In other news, people are terrible and have too much time on their hands.
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