Matt Damon has blasted journalists for spreading a "silly" hoax story that suggested he had died.

The Informant! star used his Toronto Film Festival press conference to air his anger at erroneous reports that he had plunged to his death during a mountain hike in California on Thursday, says Contactmusic.

Damon blamed the misunderstanding on "lazy" reporters who failed to read the internet story properly.

He said: "My publicist got all of these phone calls from very reputable sources. I got forwarded the story, which, if you read it, it just gets sillier and sillier, and, by the end, the guy who's said to be my agent is quoting the lyrics to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

"And yet CNN called and The Boston Globe called, all of these reputable news sources are checking if it's true."

Damon added: "My publicist's like, 'Did you even read the story?' Misinformation is quicker because you motherf**kers are lazy! That's how these things spread like wildfire."

Source: chinadaily.com.cn/agencies