Is Mark McGrath Dead? Sugar Ray Member Rumored Dead At Age 46

Is Mark McGrath dead?

Fortunately for many, this “bad” news is just another internet death hoax. According to InTouch Weekly, McGrath is the latest celebrity to be “killed off” by the web. The Sugar Ray member is alive and well, according to his rep.

The rumors started when the following message was sent to various media outlets on Thursday morning.

“Musician Mark McGrath has died at the age of 46. McGrath was on set filming the second season of entertainment show ‘Hot Package,’ when he was confronted by a masked gunman and shot several times. The former Sugar Ray frontman died in the arms of his co-host Derrick Beckles on the Hollywood set of the show. In honor of Mr. McGrath’s legacy, his team is asking in liu [sic] of flowers, fans post a Sugar Ray Selfie, holding a packet of sugar over their heart. #RIPMARKMCGRATH.”

Mark McGrath death jokes have started circulating on social media, many saying things like “Mark McGrath isn’t dead, but his career is.” Of course, the important thing is that the entertainer is alive and well.

According to USA Today, the death hoax may have been a way to promote McGrath’s new show Hot Package. However, TBS — which will air the program — said that they were just as surprised as the rest of the world to hear the news, even if it was just a hoax. The network wouldn’t make up something so serious just for publicity, would they?

Mark tweeted about the news as well, and his message was not sent from the grave.

Final word on the death hoax thing, I knew nothing about it and found out the same time you did…sorry about any confusion

— mark mcgrath (@mark_mcgrath) February 26, 2015

Death hoaxes are fairly common on the internet nowadays. It seems once a fake story really takes off, it is hard to stop it from spreading, which is why these hoaxes are sometimes mistaken as real stories. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Ricky Martin was rumored to be dead just last month. Reports claimed that he died in a car crash.

“Report says: Multi-platinum artist Enrique Martin Morales, known by the stage name Ricky Martin died at 4:30 pm eastern time while driving his BMW CONVERTIBLE CAR on a freeway in Los Angeles, CA.”

Martin’s response was pretty epic.

Hello from #heaven. http://t.co/3y1J9ZLGp7

— Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) January 4, 2015

[Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images]