Cyrus death claims are false, say reps

Miley Cyrus's representatives have confirmed that the Hannah Montana star is still alive, despite a posting on her YouTube account saying she died in a car crash.

A clip on the video sharing website claimed: "Miley died this morning after being hit by a drunk driver. She always told us if anything ever happened to her then tell her loyal fans first before the public. RIP Miley, we'll never forget you!"

Family and friends have since denied the claim and said it was the work of a hacker, while the clip has reportedly been pulled.

Celebrity blog Perez Revenge says a statement from Hollywood Records confirms the star is alive and filming in New York. "We are doing out best to find out who this hacker is. Thank you for your concerns, Miley fans," it apparently reads.

Cyrus is not the first celebrity to have been falsely pronounced as dead on the internet. In September, Vernon Kay's page on online encyclopedia Wikipedia was altered to state he died on holiday in Greece after he slipped from a yacht. Kay laughed off the claims by saying he wished he was sailing in the Mediterranean, adding: "I'm alive and kicking."

Last month, a website's claim that US rapper Lil Wayne had been fatally shot was also exposed as a hoax.