LOS ANGELES from www.lalate.com – Is there a Rihanna J-Cole tape? Rapper J-Cole has yet comment but Rihanna says she didn’t make a tape with him. When the peculiar Rihanna J-Cole tape allegations surfaced online today, the initial reaction was skeptical. Many readers questioned, if such a tape existed, why hasn’t footage been released to news. In fact, with Rihanna fostering so many unique tattoos, how could the female subject of the tape be in question?

But then, midday, a twist occurred. After most had written off allegations of the tape as erroneous, Larry Flynt’s company issued a news statement. The company claimed it was in possession of a tape. Moreover, it issued a news statement saying the female was Rihanna and the male was J-Cole. Rihanna’s rep quickly denounced the allegation.

Today’s twist of news reports is very atypical for a tape leaking. When a tape story like this breaks, it often dies or grows immediately. This one began when one website claiming to have received, via email, screenshots of the tape. The website which had reviewed the tape didn’t identify the subjects.

In the unspecified number of screenshots, the female has reported red hair. The site would not specific if any tattoos were notable in the screen grabs. It specifically noted that it could not identify either subject.

But it noted a quick perusal of J Cole’s Twitter page, showing the rapper’s phone was stolen recently. “To the girl in front row with the white shirt and pink bra – before I put this footage online of you stealing my phone out of my pocket” he wrote this week.

Initial reaction to the story, which featured no screenshots, was skeptical. But then along came a shocking statement by Larry Flynt’s company. “[We at the magazine] are in possession of the Rihanna and J-Cole tape. We have seen it and we do not know what we are going to do with it yet.” What?

The magazine would not specify what led it to alleged that the footage is real and alleged the subjects are Rihanna and J-Cole. Moreover, it would specific if the footage was obtained from the alleged stolen cellphone.

J-Cole has to respond to the company’s allegations. But the rapper has since posted about his phone “The power of twitter is UNREAL! Cole World, No Thievery.” Rihanna’s rep says no such tape exists and that the allegations are false. “Rihanna is surprised because there is no … tape.”