Harvey Believed Mac Death Was Rumour

American comedian STEVE HARVEY refused to believe pal BERNIE MAC had died - insisting it was just a rumour.

Harvey toured with Mac for The Kings of Comedy show before his death from pneumonia on Saturday (09Aug08).

The comic was aware of his friend's ill health, but refused to believe he was dead after being alerted by text message.

Speaking to talk show host Larry King as part of a special Tribute to Bernie Mac show, he says, "I was having breakfast at the Peninsula Hotel (in Chicago). And we had gotten a text message. And, of course, we just - we had written it off as the rumour - the same rumour that had happened the week before. So we didn't think anything of it.

"And then Reverend Al Sharpton walked into the restaurant and came up to me and said, 'I'm so sorry about your boy'.

"And I was looking at him, 'My boy?' And then he said, 'It's true, man. Bernie Mac passed'."