sick joke

とあるアメフト選手が亡くなったとしていた彼女は、どうやら架空の人物だったようです。

(CNN) -- This may be the strangest twist in a tale overflowing with strangeness.
Manti Te'o's deceased girlfriend tweeted late Wednesday night.
On a Twitter account -- not verified, naturally -- the "girlfriend" said the "myths" about the story that have sports fans scratching their heads will be addressed Thursday.
＜中略＞
Then Wednesday, the university held a press conference saying Te'o was the victim of a "elaborate hoax." And Te'o, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, released a statement saying he was embarrassed that he was the victim of a "sick joke."
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/17/sport/manti-teo-controversy/index.html?hpt=us_c1

sick jokeは「〔人の不幸につけこむなどの〕悪趣味な冗談、下品な［趣味の悪い］ユーモア、ブラック・ユーモア、不気味なジョーク」(英辞郎on the WEB)という意味になります。また、make a sick joke で「趣味の悪い冗談を言う」になります。(ibid)

亡くなったとされていた彼女がまさか架空の人物だったとは…驚きですね。(Hatahata)