Mark McGrath is not dead — it's a hoax

Ann Oldenburg | USA TODAY

Mark McGrath had us all pretty worried this morning.

Why?

Because a publicity firm in Los Angeles blasted out a "BREAKING NEWS" e-mail that said he had been shot and killed.

"Musician Mark McGrath has died at the age of 46," it said. "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 of flowers, fans post a Sugar Ray Selfie, holding a packet of sugar over their heart. #RIPMARKMCGRATH"

Mark McGrath dead? Really?

Um, no.

The e-mail appears to be a stunt/hoax put out to promote TBS' Adult Swim show, Hot Package, which starts a new season on Friday.

But TBS tells us they were just as surprised as we were to get the news. A spokeswoman tells USA TODAY that the show "has not been in production for several months, and we do not know where it came from."

And the company that sent out the e-mail — Los Angeles-based We Are Prismatics — does not do public relations for the show.

Neither McGrath nor his reps responded to questions about his health and well-being.

But about an hour later, a follow-up e-mail arrived saying that it's just the storyline for the new show:

"Tomorrow night on the Season 2 Premiere of Hot Package, Mark McGrath is killed by a masked gunman and dies in the arms of his co-host Derrick Beckles.

"It's important to note that Mark McGrath is alive and well in real life."

And, finally, from the man himself:

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