Earlier today we picked up a story here from the good folks at IESB in which they reported that Will Smith is signed on for two Independence Day sequels. At the time we made it clear that it was a rumor and suggested everyone wait for a second confirmation before marking it down as fact. And as we feared, the whole thing has been denied by Will Smith’s reps.

Gossip Cop now claims one of Smith’s representatives tells them that the story is “not true at this time.” Does this totally debunk it? Nope.

First, Gossip Cop doesn’t exactly specify who this representative was, which makes their story every bit as much a rumor as IESB’s original report. Nothing wrong with rumors as long as we all recognize them when we see them. Second, even if Gossip Cop’s information is accurate, the rep says it’s “not true at this time.” So while it’s unlikely that Smith is actually signed up, they’ve left the door open. It could well be that he’s in talks to do exactly as IESB suggests and simply hasn’t signed on the dotted line yet.

We do know there’s an interest in doing another Independence Day. Roland Emmerich wants to do it and Fox wants to do it. The sticking point has been Will, who’s been rumored to want more money than Fox wants to pay. The second they step up and pay it, expect to see this particular rumor come true.