Why I fired my Secretary

[W1N]

The story above as well as this one are supposedly true. I wouldn't want to be witnessing either one of them...

Latin pop's crossover coverboy sings of femmes fatales, but nothing in Ricky Martin's repertoire points to bestiality, corrupted minors or televoyeurism. In what's bound to become a case study in rumor psychology, the squeaky-clean ex-Menudo vocalist nonetheless fell prey to a twisted tale that tricked a nation.

The scandal "occurred" in February on Spain's live TV show Sorpresa, ¡sorpresa! (Surprise, surprise!) -- a primetime Fantasy Island sans midget, where a studio audience watches dreams come true. This time, a 15-year-old Martin fan was to get hers.

With parental consent and encouragement, show producers reportedly hired the Puerto Rican pop star to hide in the girl's bedroom closet. From the studio audience, mom and dad watched her return to a home mined with hidden cameras. Finishing her snack, she grabbed a jar of strawberry jam and headed for the bedroom. Surprise, surprise: Oblivious to the teen idol in her armoire, she quickly undressed from the waist down and began slathering the preserves on her privates. Faster than one can say "with a name like Smucker's, it's gotta be good," she beckoned her dog "Ricky" for his own after school snack -- all before a national television audience.

"Cut, cut!" the show's matronly emcee, Concha Velasco, reportedly screamed to the "Livin' La Vida Loca" singer. "Ricky, don't come out of the closet!"...