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The Daily Dish

Tamra Barney: I'm Still Alive

RHOC star latest subject of internet hoax.

By Colleen Werthmann


The Real Housewives of Orange County's Tamra Barney will have you know she's "very much alive!" following a fake online report that she died in a jet-ski accident.

Tamra Facebooked immediately, "For those of you that have been asking….. I am very much alive!," later adding, "I guess I better call my mom before she starts freaking out…. she is one of those that believes everything she reads… lol."

An "article" popped up on Mediafetcher earlier this week saying "Tamara Barney" (the spelling should have been your first clue) crashed her jet ski in Turks and Caicos. Another major clue that the RHOC bombshell is alive and well -- A disclaimer at the bottom of the Media Fetcher site says, "FAKE... THIS STORY IS 100% FAKE! this is an entertainment website, and this is a totally fake article based on zero truth and is a complete work of fiction for entertainment purposes! this story was dynamically generated using a generic 'template' and is not factual."

At least Tamra is in good company. The site's "template" has been used to prematurely off Adam Sandler and David Guetta, while Scott Baio, Rebecca Black, Sammy Hagar and Jennifer Lopez have also been the subjects of their own internet jet ski hoaxes.

Tamra texted the OC Register to say, "I got a call from my producer saying 'OMG I'm so glad you're alive' and I had no idea why he was saying that. As the day went on I was overwhelmed with phone calls, text messages and e-mails. It's not an easy thing to tell your young children 'Mommy didn't die' before they heard it from a friend or stranger. It was very upsetting to friends and family that read it before I had a chance to call them. It's a perfect example of how the Internet needs stronger laws to protect people. The site that did this to me and many others should be shut down.
My attorney is looking into it."

What other rumors are the 'Wives stamping out? Keep up with the ladies with our Tweet Tracker.

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