A website claiming that King of Pop Michael Jackson is still alive and posing as a burns victim, has become a hit among the pop star's fans, getting one million hits every day.
The website www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com claim the Thriller hitmaker is appearing on TV talkshows as Dave, 33, a man who suffered severe facial disfigurement after his father set him on fire, the Sun reported.
However lawyer Brian Oxman, who acts as Dave's spokesman, dismissed the rumours. "The stories that have surfaced on the blogs concerning Michael Jackson still being alive are part of the worldwide grief that everyone whoever loved Michael Jackson now feels. He was so remarkable that people find it difficult to believe he is no longer with us. They long for him to remain a part of our lives," he said.
Dave born in New York in 1983, survived a terrifying attack by his own father and suffered 90 per cent burns when he was six-years-old. His mother Marie once took him to Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch as a treat, and the singing legend took lot of interest in him.
"He befriended me. He took me into his life, which is very rare for Michael to do. But he opened up his arms to me and accepted me as a very good friend of his. And throughout the years, he never let me go," Dave, who is currently studying in Utah had said earlier. He also appeared on the Larry King show to talk about his memories of Jackson on the day of the star's memorial service last year.
Many bloggers feel Dave's high-pitched voice bears a remarkable resemblance to the pop icon's and observers claim his eyes have changed colour from his previous blue/green to brown.
"There's no doubt Michael Jackson is still alive. We have the evidence, now we want to let everyone know," one web forum regular said.
His extensive facial scarring is seen as a perfect cover for Jackson's surgically modified face. Souza, who runs the website, with her friend Mo call themselves Michael Jackson Death Hoax Investigators.
"Michael Jackson attended Larry King Live on the day of the funeral disguised as Dave Dave. At first we started investigating Michael's death as it was a gut feeling we both had. The media told us two different stories.
TMZ.com reported he died six minutes before the doctor pronounced him dead, and CNN kept telling us he was in a coma. What really happened still remains a mystery," she said.
Jackson's sudden death at the age of 50 in June last year has been ruled as a drug overdose.
Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters
