Is a video real that shows Marlon Brando explaining that he declined the 1973 Oscar over the "increasing control of Zionists in Hollywood"? No, that's not true: The American actor did decline the 1973 Best Actor Oscar for his role in "The Godfather," but it was to protest Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans, not "Zionists in Hollywood." Also, an AI…
Does a video show real footage of a horse protecting its owner from a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Japan? No, that's not true: The video shows signs of being AI-generated. Additionally, Lead Stories could not find any reports related to such an event outside of social media posts. The claim appeared in a post made on Bluesky by the account…
Is a video that shows Kai Trump, the president's granddaughter, saying, "I will never accept Bettina Anderson as my mother," real? No, that's not true: The clip is clearly labeled "AI-generated" in the bottom-left corner of the frame. The TikTok account that originally posted it also included a tag that reads: "Creator labeled as AI-generated." The claim appeared in a…
Did the Russian state-owned news agency TASS accurately report that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is listed as a child trafficker in the Epstein files? No, that's not true: Zelensky's name does appear in 39 documents in the Epstein records on the U.S. Department of Justice website. However, none of those documents have anything to do with child trafficking. The claim…
Did Donald Trump post about Apple CEO Tim Cook bragging that he called him to "kiss my ass"? Yes, that's true: President Trump posted a tribute to outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook on his Truth Social account on April 21, 2026, the day after Apple announced Cook's departure. In the post, Trump recalled that Cook called him early in his…
Do real photos show an Israel Defense Forces soldier repairing and revering the same crucifixion statue he vandalized? No, that's not true: Two images -- one showing a soldier washing the statue and another showing a soldier kneeling at the base of the cross -- are AI-generated. The photos were identified by Google Gemini as having a SynthID watermark. The…
Does a verified report say President Donald Trump tried to "access the nuclear codes" but was blocked by Gen. Dan Caine, as claimed by retired CIA analyst Larry Johnson? No, that's not true: There are no credible or verified reports indicating that such an incident ever occurred. While Johnson said on a podcast that there was a report of this…
Did a viral clip prove that "25-year-old Jason Miller" was sued for "reckless rescue" of a baby? No, that's not true: The frame supposedly showing the man in the courtroom was taken from the video coverage of a different person's case. It was a Denver cardiologist found guilty of assaulting women from dating apps. The claim appeared in a video…
Did Pope Leo XIV say, "Iran can have a nuclear weapon," as President Donald Trump suggested on the White House lawn in April 2026? No, that's not true: The pope has repeatedly argued against war and denounced nuclear weapons. In March 2026, he posted on X, "Let us #PrayTogether that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that…
Did Pope Leo XIV misquote Jesus as saying, "Blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion"? No, that's not true: The pope wasn't reading a Scripture passage at the time; he was delivering a homily on peace while in Bamenda, Cameroon, on a tour of Africa. The sentence in question excerpted a famous line from the Gospel…
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