Sports

Did Travis Kelce or other celebrities make a public statement that Jimmy Kimmel should leave America? No, that's not true: This is a made-up story which has been repeated using the same formula with many different famous names. At least nine variations of this story have been published on Facebook by pages originating overseas -- none of them are true.…

Did Simone Biles write a "lengthy, emotionally charged" blog post about Charlie Kirk, days after his assassination in September 2025? No, that's not true: As of September 19, the gymnast's website and social media profiles contain no trace of a post of any kind about Kirk. Accounts of an explosive criticism of Kirk were completely fabricated. The claim appeared in…

Did Metallica vocalist James Hetfield commit to pay for the education of Kirk's children, as multiple social media posts said? No, that's not true: There were no news reports or public statements backing up any of that. Hetfield has made no such announcement, nor have other celebrities whom social media engagement campaigns falsely claim are making the same "commitment." The…

Did Mookie Betts or other athletes say "If you want people to speak kindly about you after you're gone, then you should speak kindly while you're alive." in relation to the shooting of Charlie Kirk? No, that's not true: The fake quote, also attributed online to Bryce Harper, Mike Norvell, Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy, Julian Sayin, Aaron Judge, Dwayne "The…

Do posts about the missing hiker "Sara Jenkins" on social media tell the true story of the discovery of that person's remains? No, that's not true: No credible media organizations reported that. Lead Stories found no court records confirming any part of the story circulating on social media platforms. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on…

Did a variety of musicians, athletes, and coaches issue a lifetime ban against a man who was filmed "celebrating" in the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk's shooting? No, that's not true on two counts: First, the articles about the lifetime bans are not true. They are copy/paste clickbait slop -- a formula to intermingle names of celebrities with Charlie Kirk's…

Did a viral story about Dale Earnhardt Jr. making a fierce statement against the Charlie Kirk shooter come from an actual news source? No, that's not true: The story appeared on a foreign-run clickbait site and Facebook page and showed signs of having been generated using AI. The supposedly viral hashtag #AbsolutelyReady mentioned in the story was not used on…

Did Jalen Hurts, Travis Kelce, Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Malik Nabers, Jordan Love, and other NFL stars each donate $300,000 to Charlie Kirk's family? No, that's not true: Facebook posts claiming that these American football players reacted to the killing of Kirk on September 10, 2025, with big donations and statements of support are generated by AI tools.…

Has "Phillies Karen" been banned from various stadiums, concerts, and public events? No, that's not true: Stories making the false claims that the woman who became infamous as "Phillies Karen" after she took a ball from a boy at a Philadelphia baseball game are mass produced using artificial intelligence tools. The fake content, published on websites that mimic real news…

Did a viral video of a kiss between two South Florida Bulls football players show a real-life scene? No, that's not true: The video was digitally manipulated to alter the original footage that only showed celebratory hugs. ESPN confirmed to Lead Stories that it did not air the kissing scene. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X.com,…

Did the woman nicknamed "Phillies Karen" who yelled at a dad about a ball at a baseball game issue an apology where she flippantly said, "Yes, I got the ball. Yes, I kept it. That's how it works at the park." No, that's not true: The woman seen on video fighting for a ball at a Phillies baseball game has…

Did the woman, now known as "Phillies Karen", lose her job as an administrator at the Hammonton New Jersey Public School District after a viral video showed a confrontation over a home-run ball? No, that's not true: Posts falsely identified the woman in the video as an administrator in Hammonton School District. The school published a statement on Facebook stating…

Did the NFL ban rainbow gear from the playing field after Philadelphia Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni wore a rainbow hat? No, that's not true: The claim was spread by a Vietnamese-based publisher who used AI-generated text and images in an article that went viral on social media. There are no authentic photos of Coach Sirianni wearing the hat. A quote…

Does the viral story about missing hikers "Steve and Natalie Brody" who were supposedly found dead in Alaska's Denali National Park add up? No, that's not true: There were no news reports on the case and several details in the posts about the case are verifiably not real. The website of Interpol does not mention the "Lars Anderson" the story…

Did country music legend George Strait reject a $500 million deal from Elon Musk to endorse Tesla? No, that's not true: This is a fake story designed to get people to click on a link to a website. This identical fake story, with the same fake quote, keeps getting recycled with different celebrity names attached. The fake story appeared in…

Does a viral image authentically show soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and his fiancee Georgina Rodriguez married and at their wedding? No, that's not true: The image contained glitches and discrepancies typical of AI generated images and at least one detection tool found evidence of deepfake content. The couple announced their engagement via social media on August 11, 2025 and have…

Did Peyton Manning see to it that Ray, who had been a stadium gatekeeper for 30 years, would get tickets to the game - and also honor him with a custom Colts Jersey and a standing ovation? No, that's not true: This is a fictional story paired with an AI image intended to gather engagement for social media posts and…

Did Clark Hunt, the CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ban LGBT Merchandise from Arrowhead Stadium? No, that's not true: There is no official announcement from the Chiefs on this question. The quote circulating on social media attributed to Hunt about "protecting the integrity of our fan experience," cannot be found in any public statements in writing or on camera.…

Did U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi successfully sue American basketball player Brittney Griner, preventing the athlete from participating in the Olympic Games? No, none of that is true: No credible media organization ever reported that, as of August 19, 2025. When Lead Stories checked specialized legal resources, those searches showed no confirmation that such a lawsuit ever existed. The claim…

Did WNBA star Angel Reese call for a boycott of American Eagle over their jeans ad with Sydney Sweeney? No, that's not true: There is no record of Reese ever making such a statement about American Eagle or a boycott. The quote attributed to Reese in the post is also fabricated, as there is no publicly available evidence she ever…