As Hollywood denials go, it's pretty emphatic.
"There is no sex tape," Sandra Bullock, 45, told People magazine. Before adding, a little ominously, "There never has been one and there never will be one." Did you hear that Jesse? Did you hear that everyone?
Bullock was responding to the rumor that videotaped evidence exists of her participating in a wildly degenerate sex act with soon-to-be-ex husband Jesse James, a shotgun, some poop and various pieces of Nazi memorabillia.
While the rumor is completely unsubstantiated - and frankly, ridiculous - the Nazi stuff caused Bullock to break her silence and issue a denial, said Gawker.
"That's the part she's afraid we'll believe," said the gossip site.
Where do these rumors come from? Can you guess? Muckraking journalists of course! In this case it was Ian Halperin, the "investigative reporter" who claims he predicted Michael Jackson's death. Of course he also predicted that Brad and Angelina were breaking up. One out of two isn't bad.
So far so predictable. What made yesterday's rumor such a humdinger was that naughty old echo chamber the web. To paraphrase John Ford , given the choice between posting the truth or the legend, the web always picks the legend. The reason? More clicks! Or as Michael Wolf at Vanity Fair put it yesterday so much better than I ever could:
"The Internet exaggerates everything--it's a vulgar, loud-mouthed, garrulous, entertaining but boorish friend."
Is this one friend we should be keeping at arms length?
Read more stories like this one at www.musictoob.com