Joaquin Phoenix Is Hopefully Tricking Everyone

Joaquin Phoenix may be tricking everyone, reports ABC News. Earlier this year, the two-time Oscar nominee announced he would be quitting acting to pursue a rap career. Brother-in-law Casey Affleck is reportedly filming Phoenix's career move for a documentary and hip-hop legend Diddy will be producing the new album. So far, this has met with disastrous results. At his rap debut in Las Vegas, Phoenix mumbled incoherently through one song and then fell off the stage.

"The transition from one career to another is never seamless," Phoenix's rep, Susan Patricola, told MTV news. "It should come as no surprise to anyone that Joaquin came from a musical family in addition to winning a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Johnny Cash. He intends on exploring his musical interests despite speculative, negative or positive reactions."

However, sources close to the actor-turned-rapper believe the whole thing is a hoax. A friend told Entertainment Weekly, "He said, 'It's a put-on. I'm going to pretend to have a meltdown and change careers, and Casey is going to film it.'"

Even Mike Snedegar, owner of the Lava club where Phoenix performed, does not know if he believes it.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," he confessed to ABC News. "There were moments when I looked at him and I thought, 'I can't believe he's doing this. Then, there were moments he seemed to be very serious."

Phoenix seems to have anticipated disbelief. He told People magazine before the performance, "Are there people out there who think I'm a joke? I'm sure there will be. Are there people who think it's going to suck? Probably, but I can't worry about that."

Phoenix also defended his choice of hip-hop saying, "After all the years of reading scripts and reading lines, this is my chance to do something straight from the heart and put it out there. This is me saying this is who I am. This is my story."

Entertainment Weekly's source isn't buying that. "It's an art project for him," the source explained. "He's going full out. He probably has told his reps that he's quit acting. Joaquin is very smart. This is very conscious. He has a huge degree of control."

Hopefully Phoenix is just kidding, instead of heading down a self-destructive path as E! News columnist Ted Casablanca suggests. "Joaquin is definitely on a course right now," he stated. "I don't know if it's self-destructive or self-derailing. But he's obviously going through some sort of tortured episode in his life. It's a cry for help."

Despite all these claims, Snedegar said Phoenix seemed content. "He took pictures with fans, hung out another hour. His friends were hugging him. He seemed very happy."