malicious gossip
malicious rumour BrE
malicious rumor AmE

He'd never heard it called into question, even by Washington's most malicious gossips.

"Great families are often the subject of malicious gossip."

"How do you know that this is not simply malicious gossip?"

There was never any evidence for this apart from malicious second-hand gossip.

But he called the other charges against him "malicious gossip."

They had to resort to that sure, never failing remedy - malicious gossip.

This account has been doubted by many scholars, who consider it "malicious gossip".

There are malicious gossips everywhere, and certain people who will always think the worst.

First of all, tell me a little more about the circumstances which gave rise to this malicious gossip.

He was described as an erratic character, and a malicious gossip.