Miley Cyrus silences death hoax gossip with topless desert photo

Pop superstar Miley Cyrus has debunked false Internet rumors about her death by posting an Instagram.com photo of herself posing topless in a desert.

An advertising scam on Facebook over the weekend (19-20Jul14) encouraged users to click on a headline which read, "(SHOCKING) Miley Cyrus Found Dead in Her Los Angeles Home! Country singer Miley Cyrus found overdosed this afternoon in her Los Angeles home."

Once clicked, the post directed readers to a hoax site about completing surveys for money.

A number of Cyrus' fans fell for the fake rumors, which were given weight by the fact the singer had not reached out to her Twitter.com followers since Friday (18Jul14).

However, the Wrecking Ball hitmaker put the unfounded claims to rest on Monday (21Jul14), when she shared a series of photos on Instagram, including a snap of herself topless, with her back to the camera, wearing just a pair of denim shorts, flashing two peace signs with her raised hands.