David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, has responded to the story that set the internet alight on Wednesday in which he was quoted as saying Tony Sopranos - played by James Gandolfini - had lived at the end of the HBO drama. The fate of Tony is still regarded as one of the biggest mysteries in TV drama though Chase appeared to hint at what really happened during a discussion with a Vox journalist.

The SopranosJames Gandolfini [L] and David Chase [R] working on 'The Sopranos'

The author of the article - Martha P. Nochimson- had written that Chase had initially lashed out after being asked the question as to whether Tony was dead, but nevertheless gave a straight answer.

"We were in a tiny coffee shop, when, in the middle of a low-key chat about a writing problem I was having, I popped the question," read the Vox article, "Chase startled me by turning toward me and saying with sudden, explosive anger, 'Why are we talking about this?' I answered, 'I'm just curious.' And then, for whatever reason, he told me. [...] He shook his head 'no.' And he said simply, 'No he isn't.' That was all."

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The story went viral, with the Reddit community giving it particular attention, though Chase's people have since issued a statement playing down the quote.

Sopranos ending dinerDid Tony Sopranos die in the diner? [Getty/James Burton]

"A journalist for Vox misconstrued what David Chase said in their interview," read the statement issued by Chase's rep, Leslee Dart. "To simply quote David as saying, 'Tony Soprano is not dead,' is inaccurate. There is a much larger context for that statement and as such, it is not true."

The final episode of The Sopranos in 2007 ended with a fade to black as Tony sat in the diner, leaving many viewers wondering if their TV sets had cut out. However, as Chase has said on numerous occasions - whether Tony went down in a hail of gunfire or walked out of that diner like on any normal day is beside the point. And you know it. 

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