Do real videos show actor James Franco making "2319" references? Yes, that's true, but it is complicated: It is not clear what Franco is referring to in the series of videos that first appeared in early June 2026. The name of his TikTok account includes the number 2319, which references the emergency code in the Pixar film "Monsters, Inc." that…
Is there an image of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stage at the White House, featuring a real banner that reads, in part, "Welcome to Costco"? No, that's not true: Although the UFC stage is real, the image contains an AI-generated banner. The fake banner is a reference to a satirical comedy film. The claim appeared in a post published…
Did meal delivery company HelloFresh write on social media during Pride Month that it offers high-fiber recipes for those "who are... prepping"? Yes, that's true: Such a post indeed appeared on one of its social media accounts. The post said that it was an "official statement." The story appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @hazelappleyard on…
Did Stephen Colbert record and post a real video discussing the firing of CBS and 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley? No, that's not true: The video, which looked similar to an unrelated, real video posted by Colbert, was labeled as "AI-generated" on social media. Additionally, there were no trustworthy reports of Colbert's alleged comments. The claim appeared in a video…
Does a real Eurosport video report say French soccer star Kylian Mbappé accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sexual harassment? No, that's not true: The video links to a fake website designed to mimic the appearance of the real Eurosport site. Lead Stories found no credible news reports or other reliable evidence confirming that Mbappé made such an accusation against…
Did UN Women publish a report saying it confirmed "639 rapes and over 3,000 cases of sexual harassment in the Ukrainian Armed Forces"? No, that's not true: There was no such report on the UN Women website, at the time of writing. Posts with the claim reused unrelated Gaza footage. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on…
Did Stephen Colbert announce plans to launch a "60 Minutes"-style program with Scott Pelley? No, that's not true: The TikTok creator labeled the video with this fake announcement as AI-generated. A Google News search finds no reporting of a planned collaboration between Colbert and Pelley on a new program; articles mentioning both men relate to recent changes at CBS, not…
Does a video show an Iranian missile strike on Israeli or U.S. assets in early June 2026? No, that's not true: The explosion shown in the video occurred at a fireworks factory in Malta. The powerful blast injured two people at the Ta' Lourdes fireworks factory on June 1, 2026. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here)…
Are photos in a meme showing NBC's "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker's dramatic expressions demonstrating "five stages of Trump Derangement Syndrome" real? No, that's not true: An AI content detection tool concluded the images of Welker's face while interviewing President Trump were likely AI-generated. A review of the interview video does show a range of expressions, but none matched…
Did an FBI document published by Judicial Watch name Butler County, Ohio, Deputy Kinlee Hoyle as the officer who exchanged emails with the shooter in the 2024 assassination attempt of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: The FBI document in question mentions interviews with "5 Deputies of the Butler County Sheriff's Office" in Pennsylvania but does not…
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