Reports that former pop idol Michael Jackson is in desperate need of a lung transplant are a "total fabrication," according to a statement Tuesday from a man identified as the singer's "official and sole spokesperson."
The reports circulated Monday after Jackson biographer Ian Halperin told British tabloid The Sun and American gossip magazine In Touch that Jackson needed the procedure to combat a rare genetic illness, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, dpa reported.
Halperin also claimed that Jackson, 50, suffered from emphysema and gastrointestinal bleeding.
But Jackson's spokesman Dr Tohme Tohme insisted that the claims were baseless and designed simply to grab attention for Halperin's upcoming unauthorized biography of the eccentric recording star.
"The writer's wild allegations concerning Mr Jackson's health are a total fabrication," Tohme said in a statement. "Mr Jackson is in fine health and finalizing negotiations with a major entertainment company and television network for both a world tour and a series of specials and appearances."
According to Billboard magazine, Jackson is currently working on his first new album since 2001 with collaborators such as Akon and will.i.am.