Online Breakup Hoax

Tuesday, February 27th 2007, 6:38 am

By: News On 6

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) _ The Valentine's Day breakup of two North Carolina college students that featured singers, hundreds of spectators and a profanity-laced tirade was a hoax after all.

Ryan Burke confessed Monday that the confrontation, which became an instant hit on YouTube.com, was all a stunt to show the power of Internet communities and the amount of money that companies make from them. The pair weren't even dating.

The fake breakup garnered plenty of attention, including more than 747,000 hits on YouTube, where users post video online, and local and national media coverage.

``The fact that actual news agencies are interested was a surprise,'' Burke told The Charlotte Observer. ``We did think it would get some media attention but not from those outlets (like newspapers).''

Last week, Burke, 22, claimed he and Mindy Moorman had been dating for four months but that he broke up with her because of alleged infidelity. He attracted a crowd by promoting the event on the social networking Web site facebook.com., and hundreds of students and several photographers were among the spectators at a popular gathering spot on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

When Moorman, 21, arrived, an a cappella group sang the Dixie Chicks hit ``I'm not Ready to Make Nice.''

When Burke dumped her, Moorman's response was an angry rant filled with expletives.

Moorman, a sophomore at North Carolina State University in nearby Raleigh, said she didn't expect such a big reaction. ``No, never, never, ever,'' she said.

Moorman's only regret: She cursed too much.