FALSE ALARM

Hackers Falsely Proclaim Britney Spears Dead

Causing brief panic with Sony Music's Twitter account.

Britney Spears fans got a brief scare on Monday after the Twitter account for Sony Music was hacked to claim the pop singer was dead. The official Sony Music Global handle sent out an announcement at around 8 a.m. Monday morning saying, “R.I.P. @britneyspears,” followed by a frown-face emoji and the hashtag #RIPBritney. Another tweet came shortly afterward, reading, “Britney spears is dead by accident! we will tell you more soon.” The tweets triggered a brief frenzy on Twitter before hackers from the group OurMine claimed responsibility. In addition to Spears’ fans, Bob Dylan’s team also apparently fell for the stunt, with his official Twitter account tweeting out condolences. After a brief frenzy, the official account of Sony Music quickly regained control of its Twitter account and reassured fans that “Britney Spears is still alive.” “Sony Music apologizes to Britney Spears and her fans for any confusion,” the company said.