According to the fabricated story, which set off a brief firestorm on Twitter, the 48-year-old superstar "lost control of his snowboard and struck a tree at a high rate of speed," causing his demise. 

The website did post a disclaimer in tiny print at the very bottom of the webpage, that said "about this website. 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!"

Obviously, the majority of readers didn't see it.