Reports say the photo shows the deceased music icon with a shaved head, eyes open, ashy skin, lips flat, makeup removed, eyebrows tattooed, lying on his back.
The autopsy pic supposedly originated from "a high ranking police official" and was passed on via phone to another individual who is now seeking to profit from it.
A British celebrity gossip tabloid editor claims the photo could fetch a $1 million price tag. If it were real, that is, and we're quite skeptical that such a thing exists.
The scandalous Michael Jackson death photo from earlier this year.
So far, no actual autopsy pic has surfaced. But people are obsessed with the late King of Pop, perhaps more now than at any point in the last 10 years of his life.
They will therefore believe what they want to believe, and clamor for every scandalous piece of information - real or fabricated - that they can get their hands on.
In that sense, it's not hard to see why such a rumor would surface and gain traction, even though it is likely untrue, and that people would actually be interested.
Still, do you really want to see a death photo or autopsy photo of Michael Jackson? What's the appeal? Why not just attend a This Is It premiere in your area?
That way, you can get your MJ fix and actually see real footage!