Lead Stories is sad to learn of the announcement of the passing of Pablo Reyes Santiago (also via his Facebook account) and we offer our deepest condolences to his friends and family. Although he may not have realized it, Pablo was instrumental to the history of Lead Stories as a fact checking website. He was so famous for his pranks…
Did McDonald's change its food wrappers to blue and white, the colors of the Israeli flag, in support of Israel during the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict? No, that's not true: The fast food chain told Lead Stories that the wrappers were not intended to make a political statement. They come in a variety of colors, not just blue and white, and…
Did child rapper and foul-mouthed internet sensation Tay "Lil Tay" Tian die on or about August 9, 2023? No, that's not true: No official records document the death after her Instagram page featured a statement announcing the death of the 14-year-old and her elder brother. The unsigned text-only post was written as though it came from her family and provided…
Did gunfire from a sniper in Houston hit and kill Takeoff, a member of the rap group Migos? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, officials have presented no evidence that suggests that a sniper fired at Takeoff, the stage name of 28-year-old rapper Kirshnik Khari Ball. The claim that a sniper killed Takeoff appeared in a post…
Did Russian President Vladimir Putin describe Africa as a "cemetery for Africans"? No, that's not true: No English or Russian credible sources confirm he ever said this. The claim appeared in a TikTok video clip posted to Facebook on July 25, 2022. The caption said: "Africa is a cemetery to Africans." The video opened with a man reading: Vladimir Putin…
Was rapper 42 Dugg shot in Atlanta? No, that's not true. 42 Dugg, whose real name is Dion Marquise Hayes, was not one of the victims of a shooting that took place on the set of a music video in Atlanta on Sunday, February 21, 2021. He posted a message on his Instagram page contradicting the claim, writing, "Appreciate the…
Did Cathy Areu, a former frequent guest on Fox News who is now a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit against the network, appear in a photograph while wearing an Antifa stocking cap? No, that's not true: An image of her smiling while pointing to a "Antifaschistische Aktion" logo on a black beanie was photoshopped. The original image, shared in a 2017…
Did Erykah Badu call on people to stop buying some types of rap music because most rappers aren't doing anything to stand up against racism? No, that's not true: The neo-soul singer herself has said the words in a viral social meme aren't hers. The meme appeared in a post (archived here), published on Facebook on June 26, 2020, under…
Did Lil Boosie attack George Zimmerman outside a Walmart in Miami, Florida? No, that's not true: Even though the rumor has gone viral in recent days, it was based on a 2014 satirical story making the same claims. The rapper - now known as Boosie Badazz - has taken to social media to refute the falsehood. The claim originated from…
Was "P.O.P, Hold It Down" woman Donna Goudeau murdered in prison? No, that's not true: that story was put out five years ago by a site that publishes fictional news but it got recycled in 2019 by a relatively new website. The story reappeared via an article (archived here) published by Urban Industry News on July 18, 2019 under the…
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