In the midst of an ugly custody dispute, a troll has pretended to be Rocco Ritchie on Instagram.

Earlier today, The Sun, The Telegraph, and The Mirror reported that Madonna’s son Rocco had called his mother a ‘b**ch’ on Instagram.

The teenager, who is at the centre of a trans-atlantic custody battle between his parents, deleted his Instagram account late last year. However, a new account recently appeared under his name. On Sunday, the biography section read, ‘Roc Ritchie: Son of a b**ch’, alongside a close-up photo of Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s 15-year-old son.

What was initially interpreted to be a very public attack on Madonna, 57, has turned out to be a cruel joke by a person who claims to have the same name as the famous teenager.

Once the media got wind of the account, and the controversial biography, the user wrote a lengthy response to those who believed him to be Madonna's son:

Ight. Lol. This bulls**t is hilarious.

I'm not Rocco Ritchie, son of Guy & Madonna.

Never was never will be.

My name is Rocco Ritchie tho. And b4 this news s**t, I had 3/4 requests.

Yes. I had a picture of their son as my profile picture cause we had the same name. Bit of bant. Still have 3/4 requests. But ages ago I have had this account.

Then I put a thing saying 'Son of a b**tch'

Which 1) wasn't intended to Madonna.

Which is what I find hilarious.

I'm not a troll as you all say.

The media likes to make up s**t this got out of hand.

So. Sorry to disappoint you guys. But

1. My name is Rocco Ritchie
2. I'm not Madonna and Guy's son
3. If I hurt her feelings with what I said, I am truly sorry, the media just like click bait.
4. I've had this account for like 3 years lol. - so for all of you thinking its Rocco.

Bless ur lil cotton socks.

And again, I apologise for using my real name and "trolling" you all.

He also posted an image of the types of messages he was receiving.

Some users didn't take the prank lightly, with one user commenting, 'In his Instagram profile Ritchie described himself as the 'son of a b**ch'. As of Sunday, he has replaced that phrase with 'lol', but the damage has already been done, as his mother is once again left ridiculed.'

Another user suspected that the account could actually be the Madonna's son. 'I know the real Rocco is quite f**ked up and post things that don't make any sense like that "idgaf" attitude, and so is this account', the user wrote. 'So it might be him'.

The story comes just as Rocco and his mother are set to meet for the first time since before Christmas. The Sun reports that Madonna has taken a break from her Rebel Heart World Tour to visit her son in London.

The conflict between the two began last year, when Rocco left his mother's tour to be with his father, Guy Ritchie, in London. The move sparked a custody battle between Madonna and Ritchie. While a judge ruled for Rocco to return to New York with his mother, he refused, and his parents have since spent four months attempting to legally resolve the issue.

Social media has previously played a role in the dispute, with Madonna posting a number of messages dedicated to her son on her social media accounts in an attempt to get him back. The performer posted images of him as a child, and of him with his siblings, Lourdes, David and Mercy.

Merry X-mas to the Sun-shine of my Life! ?????????????????

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Dec 25, 2015 at 7:24am PST

It is thought that the distressing custody battle was one of the reasons behind Madonna's questionable behaviour during her Australian tour. During one performance, she even dedicated a song to her son, as a photo of him appeared on a large screen.

During such a sensitive time, the latest Instagram prank must have been quite a blow for the family. And it's a confronting reminder of how easily you can pretend to be someone else on social media.

Featured image via Getty.