Singer CeeLo Green has insisted he is “alive” and “well” after an online video appeared to show a mobile phone explode in his face.

Footage posted on social media purportedly showed the Gnarls Barkley star talking on the phone when it blew up in his hand, causing him to collapse to the floor of his music studio.

After fans began expressing concern for his welfare, CeeLo posted a video on his official Facebook page suggesting he had staged the video as part of a music project.

He said: “I just want to let everybody know that I am alive, I’m well and I’m okay.

“Truthfully, I’m really upset that anybody had to be emotionally disturbed by what they say today.

“Actually what you saw today was a clip from a smaller video that we were shooting for a new project I’m doing called Gnarley Davidson…. it’s supposed to set up and introduce the new character identity.

Scary footage of Ceelo Green's cell phone exploding while he was using it pic.twitter.com/RizMcSmKP0

— Karen Civil (@KarenCivil) December 17, 2016

“I want to just thank everybody for their love and support and concern. I’ve had a very difficult day dealing with everything.”

CeeLo, 42, is best known in the UK for Gnarls Barkley’s number one hit Crazy – the biggest selling single of 2006 – and his solo number one single “F*** You!”.

He appeared in court in 2014 when he pleaded no contest to a charge of furnishing ecstasy to a woman during a 2012 dinner in Los Angeles.