Deepfakes

Did scientists make a "terrifying new discovery" about the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, a mystery that has been unsolved since the plane vanished on March 8, 2014? No, that's not true: At the time of writing on May 29, 2024, there was no "terrifying new discovery" regarding the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. An image…

Does a social media post show an authentic image of former President Donald Trump smiling at a cookout with Black supporters? No, that's not true: The image shows signs of being generated through artificial intelligence. The image also has not been featured in any legitimate online sources. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on May 23, 2024, on…

Did entrepreneur Elon Musk discuss the Fruit of the Loom conspiracy theory with Joe Rogan as one TikTok video claims? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that Musk talked with the podcaster about that subject. Additionally, digital forensics and deepfake-testing websites, which analyze audio, video and other media, suggest that artificial intelligence was used to generate the voice purported…

Did Barbara O'Neill guarantee that a hypertension medication will clear your vessels and cure the disease in three weeks or she will transfer $10,000 into your bank account -- and have Samuel Jackson, Jane Seymour and Tom Hanks all endorsed this treatment after it cured their hypertension? No, neither statement is true: This false promotion uses AI-generated voice-overs to put…

Does a viral image really show "Barbara O'Neill's cousin" in the courtroom being "sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON"? No, that's not true: It is AI-generated. The claim came from an account with a history of posting inauthentic images under the captions referring to made-up stories. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook by "Divina Vitals" on May…

Did White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre field a question on the topic of alleged Ukrainian manifestations of Nazism from a reporter during a press briefing? No, that's not true on both counts: The reporter did not ask this question, and Jean-Pierre did not respond to such a question. An AI-generated voiceover has been added to authentic video footage from…

Does a photograph show "Dr. Sebi's cousin" on trial, purportedly for "revealing... GATEKEPT health secrets," as a post on Facebook suggested? No, that's not true: Multiple AI detection tools found evidence that the image of the man in an orange prison jumpsuit was likely AI-generated. There are no credible news reports of Dr. Sebi's cousin being arrested, put on trial…

Is a video of TV personality Mark Cuban describing a "removed" "Shark Tank" episode that featured a natural cure to high blood sugar real? No, that's not true: Cuban denied the claim to Lead Stories, calling it "an obviously bad deep fake." An AI-detection tool deemed the audio from the claim 99.9 percent AI-generated. Lead Stories found that the visuals…

Does a video show actor Robert De Niro yelling at anti-Israel protestors? No, that's not true: A spokesperson at Netflix told Lead Stories that this video was taken during the rehearsal of an upcoming series. Lead Stories found photographs on Getty Images of De Niro in the same clothing he was wearing in the claim. The caption to these photos…

Does a still image in a video on social media show the cousin of "Dr. Sebi" being sentenced to prison for supposedly revealing "health secrets"? No, that's not true: A tool used to detect AI-generated images found evidence that the image of a man in an orange prison jumpsuit in a courtroom is not real and likely was created by…

Was SpongeBob SquarePants based on the abusive childhood of a 9-year-old boy in the 1940s, as a video on TikTok suggested? No, that's not true: Stephen Hillenburg, the cartoon's creator, said in a 2015 interview that he was inspired by his marine science background to create the show and its characters. The show was primarily based on a comic book…

Is a video showing Dr. Mehmet Oz promoting weight loss pills that help dissolve fat authentic? No, that's not true: The original video of Dr. Oz wearing the same outfit is available on the internet and he never mentions a deal for weight loss pills. The audio of his voice doesn't appear to match his lip movements, and according to…

Was the controversial wellness coach Barbara O'Neill filmed touting a supposed natural cure for diabetes? No, that's not true: A video promoting an unspecified natural cure is not authentic. The voice resembling O'Neill's was determined to be AI generated, and the whiteboard from a pre-existing footage of O'Neill giving a lecture was edited to feature a different message. The promotion…

Did Piers Morgan interview controversial wellness coach Barbara O'Neill about a "Diabetes Solution" on his program "Uncensored"? No, that's not true: The video circulating on social media is fabricated, using an AI voiceover to simulate a conversation between Morgan and O'Neill. The Hive Moderation detection tool determined that the video's audio track was 100 percent likely to be AI. A…

Does the image in a video on social media show the son of "Dr. Sebi" on trial for purportedly revealing "HEALTH SECRETS"? No, that's not true: The claim was made without providing names, dates, locations or other details by which to independently verify such a trial occurred or that the person shown is related to the late Alfredo "Dr. Sebi"…

Did Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and former Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, endorse a cure for tinnitus and hearing loss? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Carson called the video a "scam and completely fake." Additionally, digital forensics and deepfake-testing websites, which analyze audio, video, and other media, corroborated the Carson spokesperson's statement, finding that the recording…

Did American singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson endorse weight-loss gummies in a video posted on Facebook? No, that's not true: The audio has been edited from a video originally posted on Wilson's Instagram page. In June 2023, Wilson issued a statement on her verified Instagram that these claims about her taking weight-loss gummies "ain't true." The claim appeared in a Facebook post…

Did gospel singer Tamela Mann endorse weight loss gummies? No, that's not true: Mann publicly refuted that she promoted weight loss gummies. Mann and several other celebrities are falsely tied to weight loss or keto gummy endorsements. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook on March 23, 2024. The post included a video with narration that…

Does a photo on Facebook actually show rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs seated next to former President Donald Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as the two men snuggle with young women? No, that's not true: A previous fact check by Lead Stories determined that another version of the photo that did not include Combs was likely AI-generated.…

Does a viral image on social media genuinely show U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and the late sex-crimes offender Jeffrey Epstein sitting snuggled up with an underage girl in a bikini top and shorts? No, that's not true: An AI-detection tool confirmed that the picture is AI-generated. This fake photo has been online since January 2024. The claim reappeared in…