Sports

Does a video show Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz "flipping off" a heckler at a Michigan football game? No, that's not true: A still photo taken at the same event shows that Walz was pointing his index finger at bystanders. His middle digit remained firmly folded in his hand. The claim appeared in a video on X (archived here)…

Does a photo show Tim Walz and his wife Gwen cheering at a football game while there were no players on the field? No, that's not true: A play was happening on the other end of the football field, outside the scope of the photo. The University of Michigan was playing against the University of Minnesota on September 28, 2024,…

Did Travis Kelce declare "I'm Going to Be a Dad!" revealing Taylor Swift's pregnancy in September 2024? No, that's not true: There is no evidence Kelce said Swift was pregnant. The site that made the claim was registered in Vietnam and lists no owners or publishers. No reliable news sources reported on the couple's supposed pregnancy. The claim appeared in…

Did Travis Kelce announce his support for Kamala Harris' presidential candidacy in late September 2024 after his girlfriend Taylor Swift did the same? No, that's not true: This claim first appeared on a website that says it "specializes in satire, parody, and humor" and that "nothing on this website is real." No actual news websites have reported that Kelce made…

Does a real selfie photo show basketball star LeBron James posing in a mirror while wearing a French maid costume at a "Diddy party"? No, that's not true: AI detection tools and a human analyst found there was "substantial evidence of manipulation" in this image. It was likely generated with AI. The image of James, pro basketball player for the…

Did tennis star Serena Williams die following a tragic car crash in Texas in September 2024, as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: As of September 25, 2024, there was no evidence to suggest that Williams had died. The legendary athlete posted on Instagram after the post about her supposed car crash was published. No major media…

Did Shaquille O'Neal throw Minnesota Governor Tim Walz out of O'Neal's restaurant, as posts on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: This story first appeared on a website with a satire disclaimer. There is no evidence that O'Neal and Walz ever had such an interaction. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) on the Esspots website on September 7,…

Does a social media video show Kamala Harris giving a speech in Atlanta on September 20, 2024, while she appeared to be intoxicated? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found the original version of the speech, and the version circulating on social media has been slowed down to make her sound intoxicated. There is no evidence the vice president was…

Do online videos show authentic documents from Travis Kelce's public relations firm about a staged breakup between him and Taylor Swift? No, that's not true: Kelce's PR firm Full Scope said in a statement to People magazine that the documents of the so-called breakup contract "are entirely false and fabricated." While the displayed papers bore the PR firm's letterhead, the…

Did Colin Kaepernick say he will leave for Russia if not respected properly in the United States? No, that's not true: This first appeared on a website with a satire disclaimer that publishes made-up content. There is no public or credible evidence to support this statement about Kaepernick. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on September…

Did Whoopi Goldberg vow to go with basketball star Brittney Griner if she leaves the United States? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence that Goldberg or Griner ever publicly said in 2024 that they would leave the country. The website that published this says in its disclaimer it takes no responsibility for any errors. The claim appeared…

Is the National Football League "reportedly considering banning" Taylor Swift from the Super Bowl, saying, "We're Tired of Her"? No, that's not true: This claim comes from an article on a website with a satire disclaimer. No publicly available evidence confirms the article's information. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) by Esspots on January 30, 2024. The article…

Did Travis Kelce threaten Elon Musk on X over his remarks about Taylor Swift? No, that's not true: The account that posted the "threat" told Lead Stories it was fake. There is no record that Kelce, Swift's boyfriend who is tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs football team, ever replied to Musk's comments about the superstar singer. The claim…

Did the Philadelphia Eagles endorse Kamala Harris for president? No, that's not true: The Eagles have denounced "counterfeit political ads" that have appeared around Philadelphia. The company that owns the Philadelphia bus shelters where the ads were displayed confirmed the Eagles were not involved and said they had removed the ads.The claim appeared in a post on X (archived here)…

Did the World Boxing Organization say Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif was actually a man, banning her from boxing for life and forcing her to return all her medals and prize money? No, that's not true: An attorney for the organization told Lead Stories that it has not taken any position on Khelif's gender and that she has never even…

Does an image of a shirtless boxer in black briefs show new evidence that the Olympic women's boxing champion from Algeria, Imane Khelif, is really a man? No, that's not true: This photo is fake and was posted on X by an account that publishes only AI-generated images. It has several telltale signs of AI such as strange, glyph-like text…

Did an NFL referee expel 10 players for kneeling during the U.S. national anthem in late August 2024? No, that's not true: The images used to depict the supposed referee and Dallas Cowboys players are not from 2024, but from 2022 and 2017, respectively. The Cowboys players shown are not wearing the same color jersey as they wore during their…

If elected to serve as Ireland's president, can MMA fighter Conor McGregor force legislators to convene and face questioning about their policies? No, that's not true: Ireland's Constitution does not grant such powers to any president. A professor of Ireland's constitutional law told Lead Stories McGregor's tweet claiming these powers was "constitutionally illiterate." The incorrect assertion about presidential powers in…

Did the NFL replace the U.S. national anthem with the "Black national anthem" at the 2024 NFL season opener? No, that's not true: The U.S. national anthem was sung by R&B artist Coco Jones, finishing to fireworks and a flyover of a B-2 stealth bomber. Before that, "Lift Evry Voice and Sing" was sung by gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard.…

Did former NBA star Michael Jordan turn down a $200 million offer to do a commercial with current NBA star LeBron James, saying he would "never [work] with this woke creep?" No, that's not true: This story came from a website that calls itself satirical and "fake news." A representative for Jordan told Lead Stories there was "no truth" to…