This weekend, a News Nerd story with the headline "Patti Labelle Arrested After Fist Fight with Aretha Franklin" made the rounds. As of right now, the post has been shared 1,700 times on Twitter and 41,000 times on Facebook. People gleefully spread the news that these ladies of soul, elegance, and attitude came to blows. Of course, if people thought for a second, "That's ridiculous! I've never heard of the News Nerd. Can I trust this source?" and then checked the site's home page, they would have seen more ridiculous headlines and a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen: 
 
 The stories posted on TheNewsNerd are for entertainment purposes only. The stories may mimic articles found in the headlines, but rest assured they are purely satirical. 
 
 But people are busy and/or lazy and/or really wanted to believe that two living titans clashed. They saw that gif of Franklin apparently shading LaBelle at the White House in March (included in the News Nerd story and referenced as a source of tension between the singers) and wanted more of that but bloodier. 
 
 Aretha Franklin was not amused. Aretha Franklin has announced that she is suing the News Nerd for $10 million. The Detroit News reports: 
 
 "The stories were not presented as satire or humor," Franklin said through her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn. "It was presented as a serious news story intended to depict me in a slanderous and derogatory way — defamation of character." 
 
 In the News Nerd's diva fanfic, LaBelle is the one who beats up Franklin, so if there is defamation of character happening, it's in faux-reporting that Franklin couldn't take LaBelle: 
 
 Onlookers say LaBelle quickly removed her wig and earrings as she approached Franklin. Aretha, knowing that the removal of earrings is a tell-tale sign that a fight is about to ensue, attempted to prepare herself for the confrontation. Franklin was quickly struck with a Mayweather style right and left and stumbled backwards, landing awkwardly. Bystanders subdued LaBelle and escorted her outside of the venue. Franklin suffered only minor injuries. 
 
 Aretha Franklin will have you know that Patti LaBelle is no match for her, thank you very much. 
 
 (Just kidding. That was satire. Don't take it out of context and spread it amongst your internet friends.) 
 
 Earlier this week, Franklin issued a statement denying that the fight ever happened: 
 
 I've never heard anything crazier—regarding myself and Patti allegedly fighting on March 20, in Atlanta. On March 20, I was in New York City readying for my birthday patty (Sorry. LOL. Laughing at my typo error). I meant PARTY, which we all had one fabulous time. Patti and I are cool and we always have been. I enjoyed her at the White House. Classic Patti. 
 
 Dig that "patty/PARTY LOL" moment and think to yourself, "Who's zoomin' who?" 
 
 Anyway, Aretha Franklin probably won't get $10 million because: satire, but at least all the ink that such a huge sum commands will ensure that her truth will travel. She's basically using the Streisand effect to her benefit. 
 
 [Image via Getty] ||||| Aretha Franklin says she�s filing a $10 million lawsuit against the News Nerd over the �satirical� story the website posted about a supposed fight she had with singer Patti LaBelle. 
 
 The News Nerd story claimed that LaBelle was �arrested for assault and battery� after she attacked Franklin with �a Mayweather style right and left� at a March 20 concert in Atlanta. The fictional brawl happened because the Queen of Soul supposedly slighted LaBelle at a PBS �In Performance at the White House: Women of Soul� program taped earlier in March. 
 
 �The stories were not presented as satire or humor,� Franklin said through her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn. �It was presented as a serious news story intended to depict me in a slanderous and derogatory way � defamation of character.� 
 
 The News Nerd �reported�: �While Aretha Franklin was making her way to the stage, Labelle extended her hand to greet the �Respect� singer, when she threw epic shade in an effort to avoid her. The two exchanged obscenities after the event and parted ways.� 
 
 Not mentioned in the News Nerd�s article is that the PBS program also showed Franklin hug LaBelle after the Queen of Soul left the stage. 
 
 There is a disclaimer at the bottom of the News Nerd site explaining that it is a satirical site: �The stories posted on TheNewsNerd are for entertainment purposes only. The stories may mimic articles found in the headlines, but rest assured they are purely satirical.� 
 
 The News Nerd story was originally posted with the byline �Kato Leonard,� but it is currently credited to �The News Nerd Staff� instead. The story appears to have been edited, as well. 
 
 After the fictional story went viral, Franklin released a statement Tuesday explaining that the fight never happened, and �Patti and I are cool and we always have been.� Now, Franklin is talking to her lawyers. 
 
 More related video ||||| On April 11, the Onion-ish "news site" The News Nerd published a fictional story titled "Patti Labelle Arrested After Fist Fight with Aretha Franklin." 
 
 The story claims LaBelle decked Franklin with a punch following a back-and-forth feud. This scuffle most definitely did not occur, though Franklin found it necessary to issue a formal refutation of the incident today: 
 
 "I've never heard anything crazier—regarding myself and Patti allegedly fighting on March 20, in Atlanta. On March 20, I was in New York City readying for my birthday patty (Sorry. LOL. Laughing at my typo error). I meant PARTY, which we all had one fabulous time. Patti and I are cool and we always have been. I enjoyed her at the White House. Classic Patti." 
 
 Poor Aretha -- either her team is feeding her some deeply misleading information or she doesn't quite get the (attempted) humor of the internet. To Franklin's credit, several of the article's commenters appeared to miss the joke as well. Here are a few nuggets: 
 
 "OMG…ARE YOU SERIOUS. .? Smh…" 
 
 "What a stupid way for two elderly people to react ,i am very much sorry about the situation." 
 
 "You two lady’s need to bury that nonsense and move on y’all have been friends to long" 
 
 FYI: The bottom of the News Nerd site contains a disclaimer saying its posts are for "entertainment purposes only."
– There's a disclaimer at the bottom of the News Nerd site clarifying that articles found therein "are purely satirical," but the thousands of people who shared one of the stories on Facebook and Twitter this weekend may not have noticed said disclaimer. The satirical article in question, published April 11, claimed that Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle got into a fistfight at an Atlanta concert in March. But people seemed to believe it when it went viral, Gawker reports, and now Franklin is suing News Nerd—for $10 million. Franklin tells the Detroit News, through her publicist, that the News Nerd article was "not presented as satire or humor. It was presented as a serious news story intended to depict me in a slanderous and derogatory way—defamation of character." Here are a few lines from the "serious" story: "Onlookers say LaBelle quickly removed her wig and earrings as she approached Franklin. Aretha, knowing that the removal of earrings is a tell-tale sign that a fight is about to ensue, attempted to prepare herself for the confrontation. Franklin was quickly struck with a Mayweather style right and left and stumbled backwards, landing awkwardly." Franklin had on Tuesday issued a rather amusing statement after the article started to pick up steam: "I've never heard anything crazier ... On March 20, I was in New York City readying for my birthday patty (Sorry. LOL. Laughing at my typo error). I meant PARTY, which we all had one fabulous time. Patti and I are cool and we always have been."