Entertainment

Did podcaster Joe Rogan discuss a child being abducted through secret tunnels at Disneyland on his show? No, that's not true: The audio making the claim about a child being taken away from his family via a secret underground tunnel at Disneyland in California does not match the movements of Rogan's mouth. He did not discuss secret tunnels at Disneyland…

Is Bill Gates facing life behind bars on child rape charges due to his alleged inclusion on convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's supposed client list? No, that's not true: The article making the claim offers no proof that any charges have been filed against billionaire Gates as of November 6, 2023. Gates' ex-wife Melinda did not post a social media message…

Did Mel Gibson make a statement on Facebook about "the end" of Israel, saying, "soon the end and they know it, that's why they want to destroy everything in the way"? No, that's not true: Gibson's agent confirmed to Lead Stories that the actor and director did not make the post. Gibson's agent also confirmed that the actor does not…

Does a video posted on social media show a genuine British police officer questioning a driver, who is waiting for a friend at a train station, to exclude him as a suspect in a crime "that may or may not be currently in progress"? No, that's not true: This is a skit staged for social media. The man playing the…

Does the cover of the October 2023 issue of the German satirical magazine Titanic feature a cartoon of people wearing masks depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with a title that translates to "This time there won't be enough sweets for everyone"? No, that's not true: Titanic's webmaster confirmed to Lead Stories that this supposed cover is fabricated. The official cover…

Did actor Jason Statham install a Palestinian flag on his Jeep amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023? No, that's not true: A close-up picture from a video included in the claim clearly shows that the man in it is not Statham, a well-known Hollywood actor. Statham has not made any public comments about the Hamas-Israel conflict as of this writing.…

Did actor Matthew Perry vow to expose "child predators" before his death? No, that's not true: The social media post purportedly by Perry that makes the claim is fake -- there is no proof of its existence on his Instagram account and it does not show his verified check mark. The site that made the claim has a history of…

Does a video on Facebook show actress Jada Pinkett Smith endorsing a "health spending card" promotion? No, that's not true: The audio in this post is fake, as she was talking about her health in at least one of the video clips used in this claim -- not a "health spending card." Fake promotions, such as the one linked to…

Does the Salzburg, Austria, airport have a counter for people who flew to Austria instead of Australia? No, that's not true: A meme originated from a satirical ad campaign positioned at the baggage claim in the Salzburg airport. The ad, featuring a SOS call button, was from a communication technology company that provides solutions such as the SOS intercom call…

Is a video of jets surrounding Donald Trump's jet real? No, that's not true: The video that appeared in a viral X post is from a video game. A YouTube video with the same footage has "#flightsim" and the acronym to a flight simulation video game in the description. A TikTok video with the same footage also has the same…

Did Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Joe Rogan endorse a plan by the federal government to distribute health spending cards worth up to $5,600, with every American qualifying for one? No, that's not true: The claim that the government is freely giving out health spending cards with thousands of dollars on them is a scam. Such scams are usually attached…

Did BBC News broadcast "breaking" news that Elon Musk has a new trading app that will allow Britons to make so much money that they won't have to work anymore? No, that's not true: The BBC's website includes no such report and the footage of Musk is from an appearance at the World Government Summit on February 15, 2023. He…

Did Pope Francis declare World Economic Forum chairman Klaus Schwab a "more important" figure than Jesus Christ? No, that's not true: The People's Voice, the website originally making the claim, provided no sources proving the pope said this. The site has a long history of publishing fake or made up quotes and has a liability disclaimer that seeks to absolve…

Does a video show reports of "skinwalkers" sighted at school in Ohio on September 17, 2023? No, that's not true: The claim that there are "skinwalkers" -- a witch in Navajo legend -- in classrooms is not made anywhere during the footage. September 17, 2023, was a Sunday, when Ohio schools would likely not have classes. Similar video was posted…

Do images in a social media post show rapper Boosie celebrating Pride Day in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana? No, that's not true: These pictures have been created using artificial intelligence. An AI content detector assessed that there is a 99.5 percent chance that these images were likely to be AI-generated. A Google News search also did not find reports that…

Did star tennis player Venus Williams receive a standing ovation for "refusing to play a trans woman"? No, that's not true: The claim came from an article on a website that's part of a satirical network. The publishing network's Facebook page says "Nothing on this page is real." The claim appeared in a post on Facebook (archived here) on October…

Does a video show hundreds of people "who identify as dogs" at a "trans species rights" protest in Germany? No, that's not true: The group of people dressed as dogs and barking in the video attended a festival in Europe that celebrated "a week full of unique leather and fetish events." They were attending a street fair and parties and…

Did the National Football League (NFL) ban the performance of the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also known as the Black National Anthem, at any NFL-sponsored venue after the purported performance of the song by Beyonce Knowles-Carter in San Francisco? No, that's not true: When this claim was published, September 19, 2023, Beyonce was not performing at any NFL…

Does a social-media video of a young woman knocking on a door in distress to seek shelter from a male stalker, who claims to be her husband, depict an actual event? No, that's not true: It's a staged skit. The video, which features actors, is part of a three-part horror story shot by a French content creator. The claim that…

Does a video on TikTok capture the moment of the F-35B crash in South Carolina on September 17, 2023? No, that's not true: the clip does not accurately portray the location. It was originally published by an account specializing in sharing "realistic" fragments from flight simulator video games. Its author confirmed to Lead Stories that the video was artificially generated.…