14 DAY TRIAL // Hackers have broken into the website of American actor Zach Braff and posted a fake 'coming out' statement in the TV star's name.
"To all my loyal fans, I have been hiding this secret inside me for too long...I am excited and proud to announce that I am an open member of the homosexual community.
"This is not news to those closest to me, and I honor that they have kept it a secret for such a long time," part of the rogue announcement read.
Braff, who is best known for his role as Dr. John Dorian in the popular television series Scrubs, denied the rumor on his Facebook page.
"My old website got hacked. Someone issued a 'coming out' statement on my behalf. I'm still straight and in love with my girlfriend," the actor, who is in a relationship with fashion model Taylor Bagley, said.
"But not too straight; I still love musicals, brunch and Doogie Howser," Braff joked. He later linked to a Scrubs clip in which he sings "Guy Love" together with co-star Donald Faison (Dr. Chris Turk).
Celebrities are often the target of hackers who break into their websites or social media accounts to post fake announcements, mostly for amusement or to stir up controversy.
This month alone hackers broke into the websites of David Beckham, Lady Gaga, Klaxons, Justin Bieber, Lauren Pritchard and Amy Winehouse, where they left a hateful message.
However, some hackers can have malicious intentions. At the end of last month hackers hijacked the Twitter account of British actor Simon Pegg and tricked his followers into downloading a banking trojan.
Other announcements can spread very fast and are hard to retract. For example, last year, Axl Rose's Twitter account was used by hackers to falsely announce that all upcoming Guns N' Roses concerts are cancelled.