Nick Offerman Spills on Cast’s Wild Texts Over Jonathan Joss Rumor

Hold onto your coffee mugs, because this tea is absolutely swirling! I can’t even—Nick Offerman, our beloved mustachioed guru from Parks and Recreation, has just dropped the juiciest bombshell: the entire cast “has been texting” about co-star Jonathan Joss’s alleged murder all day. Yes, you read that right, and yes, it sounds like something straight out of Pawnee’s strangest conspiracy. Offerman let slip at a recent press junket (various eyewitnesses tell People and Entertainment Weekly) that when word started circulating online about Joss, the man behind Chief Ken Hotate, being involved in a tragic incident, everyone pinged each other in a frenzy, unsure what on earth was real.

Sources confirm that Nick casually mentioned the group chat chaos while chatting with reporters backstage at the PaleyFest reunion on October 12. He laughed, half-panicked, “I’ve been fielding text after text: ‘Is this true? Are we filming a Halloween episode we don’t remember?’ ” And you just know April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) would have shot back with a one-liner—caffeinated sarcasm meets genuine concern. Meanwhile, Amy Poehler allegedly started FaceTiming Chris Pratt to see if he could fact-check TMZ’s initial misfire.

Here’s the verifiable scoop: no official police report has emerged and Jonathan Joss himself hopped onto Instagram Live (as captured by TMZ and Insider) to reassure fans that he’s “alive and well” and sipping herbal tea, not leaving behind a crime scene. People Magazine notes Joss quipped, “I’m safe, y’all—stop texting Leslie Knope!” Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly reminds us that Offerman’s off-screen candor is a public service, because rumor mills spin faster than Ron Swanson’s mustache twirl.

What triggered the misinformation tsunami? A tiny local blog misinterpreted an obituary notice for someone else named Joss, and the rumor spiderweb grew overnight. The Parks crew’s group chat went from “Happy birthday, Leslie!” to “Does this mean we need to rewrite the finale?” faster than you can say “treat yo self.” And guess what? Offerman promises more deets when the cast drops their behind-the-scenes special next month.

Can you blame them for freaking out? If Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) isn’t there to serenade you with “5000 Candles in the Wind,” you start wondering if it’s real life or just another prank by April. In true Aunt Who’s fashion, I’m vibrating with excitement thinking about the reunion clips. Will Joss make a cameo to roast us all? I swear, I could talk about this all day.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, TMZ, New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed