Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner poses for a portrait at his Playboy mansion in Los Angeles
Rumors surrounding the death of Hugh Hefner have been confirmed false by the Playboy founder himself via Twitter. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Reports that Hugh Hefner is dead have been confirmed as a greatly exaggerated hoax, according to the founder and publisher of Playboy magazine himself who notified the public via his Twitter account.

Rumors began spreading on social media networks that Hugh Hefner was dead on Monday, claiming the 85-year-old had suffered from a heart attack.

Hefner confirmed his death was a false story via Twitter. The rumors of my death are, as Mark Twain observed in a similar situation, greatly exaggerated. I'm very much alive and kicking, he tweeted.

Amused by the rumors circulating he commented, I'm lying in bed next to Shera Bechard with a big smile on my face, reading tweets about my unexpected demise. I'm happy to see how many people are pleased that I'm not dead.

Recently, Hefner made headlines after heart break, not heart attack, over an announcement that his wedding with ex-girlfriend Crystal Harris was cancelled. The cancellation, which will have a Lifetime special feature in the future, was announced just a few days before the wedding.

Hefner is no stranger to weddings: He was married to Mildred Williams from 1949-1959 while having two children. With countless girlfriends in between, he was married in 1990 to Playmate of the Year Kimberly Conrad for eight years, with whom he also had two children.

Hefner suffered from a mild stroke over 15 years ago when he was 59 and has since toned down the wild lifestyle he formerly had.

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