Wendi Deng and Vladimir Putin are the internet's new favourite rumour.

Wendi Deng and Vladimir Putin are rumoured to be dating after a US publication made the audacious claim on the back of an inside source.

The source who is said to be close to the leader, has told US Weekly the relationship is ‘serious’.

The story seems to be seriously unbelievable considering the only evidence comes from this ‘insider’ and that today is April Fools.

“Reports of the pair have been floating around for years, ever since their respective divorces in 2014 and 2013.” US Weekly says.

It was also reported that Deng, the ex wife of billionaire Rupert Murdoch, was dating former British PM Tony Blair before those rumours were left to dry out.

But even the smallest of breadcrumbs will appear appetizing to the hungry bird so in true news-cycle fashion, publications have scrambled to run the story.

US publication Vanity Fair is currently leading the pack with a story whose opener is almost as good as its content.

“An unsubstantiated rumor has the Internet crossing its fingers.” Vanity Fair says.

Whose fingers? Tell me, I’ll uncross them myself.

The publication goes on to state the facts of the story, keeping their tongues pressed firmly to their cheeks.

“The two have yet to be spotted together in public, because that level of self-serving malevolence in one single frame would likely crumble the earth onto itself. But Us did report Deng was spotted earlier this week boarding the St. Barths–docked yacht of Russian businessman Roman Abramovich.” Vanity Fair says.

“After Putin’s election, the billionaire reportedly gifted him a $35 million yacht to add to his collection of playthings, according to The Daily Mail. This one degree of mega-yacht separation isn’t quite a confirmation, but it has to count for something, right?”

Right. Wait – no. It actually doesn’t.

So here’s what we know about the story:

1) It has been confirmed by an ‘insider’ source but is still considered a rumour.

2) They have never been spotted in public.

3) They know the same Russian businessman.

4) They are both publicly single.

If these are the criteria one needs to be linked to Deng then I’m currently filling two out of the four categories – three if I can be my own insider source.

The only real surprise with this story is that despite the media wildfire that is currently igniting around the pair, a Murdoch owned publication is yet to run the story.

Not that we’re implying anything but let’s revisit some of our greatest tall tales.