Jon Bon Jovi uses photo to deny online death reports

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has denied online reports that claimed he had died.

The 49-year-old singer and actor posted a picture of himself on Monday (19 December) holding a message making light of the reports.

"Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey," the handwritten note said.

A message posted on the band's Facebook page and Twitter account also quashed the rumours by saying: "Rest assured that Jon is fine - this photo was just taken."

A website had wrongly claimed the singer suffered a cardiac arrest at a hotel in New Jersey and later passed away in hospital.

Soon after the rocker's name began trending on Twitter.

The LA Times later claimed some of the original report was copied from a newspaper article about the death of Michael Jackson in 2009.

In the past other celebrities and musicians have been victims of hoaxes about their deaths online including David Guetta, Kevin Bacon, Charlie Sheen and Thirty Seconds To Mars' Jared Leto.

Most recently Jon Bon Jovi has starred in festive romantic comedy New Years Eve along with Katherine Heigl, Zac Efron and Robert De Niro.

According to Billboard magazine, Bon Jovi were the highest-grossing touring act of 2010 with their The Circle tour.