Entertainment

Did Elon Musk say he would release a "bombshell" client list tied to rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs and financier Jeffrey Epstein? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The first comment under the post included a link to the self-described satire website…

Did actor Tom Hanks withdraw his 2025 Oscar nominations and leave the United States, saying "I've had enough" in an Instagram video? No, that's not true: This story comes from a self-described satirical website whose About Us page announces it is "dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity." Lead Stories found no sign in…

Did Disney say it was adding Kamala Harris to its Hall of Presidents? No, that's not true: The story originated from self-described satire and parody website Mouse Trap News, which says on its site, "We write fake stories about Disney Parks stuff." Lead Stories could not locate any credible evidence of Disney having made such an announcement. The claim appeared…

Is there no way to avoid that January 19, 2025, is TikTok's last day of operation in the United States, as implied in a "BREAKING" post on Threads? No, that's not true: On the day the post appeared, there was no breaking news about enforcement of a federal law forcing the sale of TikTok to non-Chinese ownership. The bill signed…

Does a video show Lady Gaga describing the trauma she experienced at one of Sean "Diddy" Combs' "freak off" parties? No, that's not true: The video clip is from a 2021 interview with Stefani Germanotta, the singer's real name, in a documentary series produced by Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry. She is talking about the sexual abuse she experienced from…

Did FBI investigators name Tom Hanks as the "sickest participant" in alleged underage sex trafficking involving Sean "Diddy" Combs? No, that's not true: The article saying that offers no evidence that the FBI has released any statements about Hollywood star Hanks being involved in the Combs sex crimes case. Hanks is not mentioned in any of the official court documents…

Did "Trump's Scottish Golf Course," have to "up its security" in 2024 after people were "breaking in" and defecating in the holes? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the course -- presumably Trump International Scotland -- had to increase security measures as of this writing. This rumor appears to have originated with comedian Russell Howard, who joked…

Did President-elect Donald Trump announce during a podcast interview with Joe Rogan that Americans could "claim their $6,400 relief checks" as of November 25, 2024? No, that's not true: The post saying this used altered audio with a real video of a Trump interview on the Joe Rogan show. There was no mention of a "relief" check in the real,…

Does a video show Barack Obama "committing abhorrent acts while high" as a social media post imples? No, that's not true: The post does not offer any evidence that the former president was caught on camera getting high or "committing abhorrent acts." The video linked in the post does not show Obama doing drugs of any kind or doing anything…

Did singer-songwriter John Legend state on social media that he was leaving the United States for France as a result of the 2024 U.S. presidential election? No, that's not true: Searches of his social media did not return such a statement. A search on Google News did not show any reports that Legend had left the country because of the…

Did late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel say he was ending his show on January 20, 2025, and moving to Canada? No, that's not true: This comes from a website that labels itself satire. An online search turned up no evidence that Kimmel had ever said such a thing. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on November…

Did Taylor Swift announce she will move to Canada in response to the 2024 U.S. presidential election results, saying "Goodbye US, I Love Canada"? No, that's not true: The post supplied no evidence she made any such public statement. Independent searches found no credible news media outlets have reported this as of November 22, 2024. The claim was posted to…

Did Taylor Swift say Elon Musk is "the first person in history, to be radicalized by his own algorithm"? No, that's not true: A psychology professor at the University of Cambridge claimed credit for the quote after it went viral in mid-November 2024. Lead Stories found no obvious sign that the singer had made such a comment after searching Swift's…

Did Comcast announce in November 2024 that it was selling MSNBC? No, that's not true: According to the corporation's press release and other news reports, Comcast only announced moving some of its assets, including MSNBC, into a separate independent publicly traded entity. No credible media organization confirmed the rumor about the sale of MSNBC, with that rumor being elevated by…

Did actor Bruce Willis die in November 2024 amid dementia? No, that's not true: "It's a lie," Willis' attorney told Lead Stories. The social media post spreading that rumor offered no proof that Willis had passed away after his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. There are no actual news stories that the "Die Hard" actor had passed away as of publication date.…

Did Billie Eilish turn down an Oscar nomination and announce she plans to leave the U.S. after Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election? No, that's not true: The rumor originated in an obscure blog that didn't cite a single source and didn't disclose its ownership. No credible journalistic organization reported such an event. The claim appeared in a…

Did Kyle Rittenhouse register a lien on Whoopi Goldberg's Malibu, California, home for $22 million? No, that's not true: This claim is from a self-described satire website. The article also uses two made-up names that commonly appear on this website. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) by The Dunning-Kruger Times on July 8, 2023. It began: When Kyle…

Did MSNBC host Rachel Maddow break down crying and run off the set due to the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election? No, that's not true: This post came from a self-described satirical Facebook account. The website attached to this account has a disclaimer that says, "Nothing on this page is real." The post appeared on Facebook on November…

Did a video show actors Brad Pitt and George Clooney "hit the Trump dance" to the song, "Y.M.C.A." by Village People? No, that's not true: "Y.M.C.A." was edited onto the video. The original audio has the two dancing to Sade's "Smooth Operator." Multiple reliable sources have reported that Pitt and Clooney were dancing to "Smooth Operator," and not "Y.M.C.A." The…

Did Arnold Schwarzenegger wear a T-shirt that said, "I didn't vote for the McFelon"? No, that's not true: The photo appearing to show that scene has been altered. The original photo showed Schwarzenegger wearing a plain black T-shirt without any slogan on it. The photo was taken in March 2024, at the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival UK, which was held…