Originally appeared on E! Online
Bruno Mars isn’t above trolling himself online.
After the “Die With a Smile” singer made a surprise appearance onstage during Blackpink’s Deadline World Tour show in Los Angeles on July 13, where he joined group member Rosé to perform their duet “Apt.,” he posted about the moment on social media with a playful callback to a wild internet rumor about his finances.
“Almost out of debt BehhhhhBehhhhh!!!” he wrote in a post on Instagram July 14 alongside video from the performance. “Preciate You ROSAAAAYYYYYY!!!!”
The caption appears to be a reference to a report which originally circulated in March 2024, alleging that the 39-year-old had accrued a whopping $50 million in gambling debt at MGM Casinos. The report went on to claim that his long-term performance partnership with the company, which has been in place since 2016, was effectively offsetting what he owed.
However, MGM Resorts International swiftly clarified that there was no truth to the rumor.
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“MGM and Bruno’s partnership is longstanding and rooted in mutual respect,” they told E! News in a statement at the time. “Any speculation otherwise is completely false; he has no debt with MGM.”
The hotel chain went on to call the Grammy winner “one of the world’s most thrilling and dynamic performers,” adding that they were “excited to continue creating unforgettable experiences for our guests.”
Meanwhile, Mars himself has been quick to poke fun at the rumor in the past. Back in January, he shared a post from Spotify highlighting his feat as the first artist on the streaming platform to achieve 150 million monthly listeners, comically urging his fans to continue playing his music.
“KEEP STREAMING,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories. “I’ll be out of debt in no time.”
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