Sports

Did swimmer Lia Thomas say she's leaving the United States for a "More Tolerant Country"? No, that's not true: This claim originally appeared in an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. The website where this claim originated has a disclaimer that reads, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim reappeared in an article (archived here)…

Did the International Ice Hockey Federation ban Israel from international competitions, and was the ban still in effect as of February 21, 2024? Not quite: Although the governing body did ban the Israeli National Team from competing in its championship events, that ban was lifted shortly after it was announced for a competition. Both the initial ban and the lift…

Were the minors arrested in connection with the Kansas City parade shooting charged with shooting people? No, that's not true: As of February 21, 2024, neither of the two juveniles had been charged with shooting anyone. According to the court, they are being detained on "gun related and resisting arrest charges." The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on…

Does a photo on social media of a man in a red sweatsuit show a suspect in the shooting that occurred on February 14, 2024 during the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade? No, that's not true: The individual in the photo is Denton Loudermill, who was detained by police for allegedly being intoxicated and for allegedly failing to move from…

Did Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce say they would leave the United States if Donald Trump wins in 2024? No, that's not true: There is no proof that either of them ever said that. No news outlets have reported that the singer or the football player ever made such comments about leaving the U.S. if Trump wins the 2024 election.…

Was one of the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooters identified as 44-year-old Sahil Omar, an "illegal immigrant"? No, that's not true: As of this writing, law enforcement had not released the identities of three people detained in connection to the incident, nor had anyone been charged. News photos of a man detained after the shooting did not identify the man…

Did the Kansas City Chiefs say they won't be re-signing Travis Kelce's contract and that they have "had it with the sideshow"? No, that's not true: This claim is from an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. This website has a disclaimer that reads, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim appeared in an article…

Did the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce say, "I think Joe Biden is doing a good job so far"? No, that's not true: There are no reliable sources or records of the tight end making such a statement about the president of the United States. While the two men did spend time together in 2023 at a White House event…

Was "The Rock" booed in Las Vegas for failing to help the victims of the wildfires in Maui? No, that's not true: The video of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is from a WWE event where he was playing a bad character, and the audience was chanting for his opponent. The video had nothing to do with the August 2023 Maui…

Is a meme picture of Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce in a "Biden Harris 2024" hat actually real? No, that's not true: The picture of Kelce seen in an Instagram post has been edited. In the original photo, Kelce is wearing an energy drink hat, not one endorsing the incumbent president and vice president. The claim appeared on…

Did pop star Taylor Swift get photographed holding up a red banner that read "TRUMP WON DEMOCRATS CHEATED!"? No, that's not true: The photo of Swift has been edited to make it look as though she is holding up the banner. In the original photo, she was clasping her hands against her heart, while also clutching the hand of the…

Did Donald Trump brag on social media about boxing sessions with Muhammad Ali, the now-deceased legendary athlete known as Cassius Clay in the early days of his career? No, that's not true: The former president's social media accounts didn't say anything about it. The account that initially shared an image of the supposed Trump post publicly stated that the story…

Does a video showing a large motorcade with flashing lights traveling on a snow-covered highway document the arrival of Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the Miami Dolphins in Missouri? No, that's not true: The video shows Donald Trump's motorcade arriving in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 13, 2024, in advance of the Iowa…

Is an image of a woman in a swimsuit that reads "Not A Dude!" used in a social media post a real photo? No, that's not true: There is an early version of the image that proves that the woman in question did not have "Not A Dude!" on her swimsuit. Versions of the picture without the message have been…

Was transgender competitive swimmer Lia Thomas fired from her new high school coaching job after two weeks because "half the team quit"? No, that's not true: This claim appeared in an article on a satirical website known for publishing fabricated content. The website where this claim originated has a disclaimer that reads, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim…

Was comedian and TV host Jimmy Kimmel named as Jeffrey Epstein's client in the most recent batch of court documents released in the first week of 2024? No, that's not true: Lead Stories manually reviewed the files, and none of them discussed or mentioned Kimmel. Kimmel has denied "any contact whatsoever with Epstein" and he has denied that his name…

Did Lia Thomas decide to swim with a men's team after facing "extreme criticism" for transitioning and swimming with female teams? No, that's not true: This claim about the transgender woman swimmer comes from a satirical website that has a history of fabricating content surrounding popular topics. The site says in its About section that it brings "the freshest fake…

Did the crowd at the December 9, 2023, Army/Navy football game chant "Fuck Joe Biden"? No, that's not true: The cadets and midshipmen shouted no such thing. The original audio was removed and new audio was dubbed in. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here) published on Instagram by truth_seeker_speaker_ on December 9, 2023, under the title…

Is the NCAA transferring swimmer Lia Thomas' medals to Riley Gaines? No, that's not true: An NCAA spokesperson told Lead Stories that this claim is false. A site that originated the claim says its satirical articles are "not meant to be taken seriously." The claim appeared in a post on Facebook on December 3, 2023 (archived here). Above a side-by-side…

Do NFL referees now have the authority to disqualify players for kneeling in protest during the national anthem? No, that's not true: This claim comes from a satirical website that has a history of fabricating content surrounding popular topics. The site carries a disclaimer that states, "Everything on this website is fiction." Lead Stories found no credible reports about what…