NBC’s hit Western series, Bonanza, brought the Cartwright family to life. Michael Landon played Little Joe Cartwright, the youngest in the fictional family, and he attained great fame thanks to his role. Unfortunately, one of his early agents decided Landon should receive media attention in whatever way possible — and a gossip columnist made up a story that someone tried to kill the star.
During Michael Landon’s ‘Bonanza’ years, his agent helped spread an assassination attempt rumor

Michael Landon rose to fame thanks to Bonanza and attained even more celebrity with Little House on the Prairie and his other projects. But in his early years, MeTV reports he didn’t hire a press agent until 1967. His agent, Jay Bernstein, then gave Landon a huge headache after he started a rumor that someone tried to kill the actor.