Entertainment

Does HBO Max "suddenly" changing "their name to simply Max" mean "the company won't have to pay residuals" to screenwriters? No, that's not true: The name change from HBO Max to Max does not have any direct impact on the company's obligation to pay residuals to screenwriters or any other content creators. This is a contractual and legal obligation that…

Did Sylvester Stallone ban "woke crap" on the set of one of his movies, speaking against "a bunch of granola moms and their soy boy husbands"? No, that's not true. The claim originated from a satirical website that describes everything it publishes as "fiction." The story initially appeared in an article (archived here) published by The Dunning-Kruger Times on March…

Have country singers and married couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill promoted weight loss gummies that melt weight off while one sleeps? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that McGraw and Hill have endorsed such a product. There is an ongoing online scam that uses the names and likenesses of celebrities to sell weight loss products, even if…

Did ABC issue a fine to "The View" host Joy Behar worth $1 million for missing an interview with Sen. Tim Scott? No, that's not true: This story originated from a self-described satirical website aimed at trolling conservatives. No corporate statement or credible independent reporting supports the claim. The claim appeared in an article published by The Dunning-Kruger Times on…

Did the American TV network ABC remove "The View" from its 2024 TV show lineup? No, that's not true: This story is from the satirical website The Dunning-Kruger Times, part of the satirical news network America's Last Line of Defense. The claim appeared in an article published by The Dunning-Kruger Times on May 28, 2023, titled "Canceled: ABC Removes 'The…

Did the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus vow in a song to convert children to homosexuality? No, that's not true: The satirical song titled, "Message from the Gay Community," was sharing the specific and direct message that they wanted to convert children to be "tolerant and fair"; not to convince them to become homosexuals. The claim appeared in a video…

Was a book by Amanda Gorman, the youngest poet to perform her work at a U.S. presidential inauguration, banned from public elementary schools in Miami-Dade County in Florida? No, that's not quite right: The book version of Gorman's inaugural poem "The Hill We Climb" was restricted to the middle school section of a media center at just one public school…

Did another publication's fact check find that it was true that Whoopi Goldberg had been asked to leave Tina Turner's funeral? No, that's not true: A satire website published a fake story about Goldberg and then fact-checked their own fake story to say it was true. Both the satire website, dunning-kruger-times.com, and the fake fact checking website, freedomfictions.com, are part…

Did Canadian singer Celine Dion pass away on or before May 7, 2023? No, that's not true: She only canceled her tour due to her health condition that, while significantly affecting the singer, according to her own words, did not appear to be immediately life-threatening. The video reused in such posts recycled the 2022 footage showing a different woman with…

Did the Golden Globes "ethics board" cancel prominent actress Whoopi Goldberg's Lifetime Achievement Award? No, that's not true: This story originated from a self-described satirical website aimed at trolling conservatives. No corporate statement or credible independent reporting supports the claim. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by The Dunning-Kruger Times on January 10, 2023, with the headline…

Is this an advertisement for an entirely underground apartment building in Los Angeles? No, that's not true: This billboard is a promo for an Apple TV show. The URL seen on the billboard leads to a website that tells readers the TV show has been available for streaming since May 5, 2023. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here) on…

Did Jerry Springer, host of "The Jerry Springer Show," have two Black children with a mistress and leave those two children "everything" when he died? No, that's not true: The post making that claim uses footage of Springer playing a role in a performance put on by Tulane University students. Springer has one child, Katie, who is white. Lead Stories…

Was a Florida couple arrested for allegedly selling "golden tickets to heaven?" No, that's not true: There are no credible reports of such an event and the website the claim was published on is known for publishing fake news stories. The claim originated in an article published on March 31, 2015, on the website Stuppid. The article opened: Tito and…

Is American singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert selling weight loss materials, specifically a special mineral used for weight loss? No, that's not true: Lambert's public relations team told Lead Stories she is not affiliated with this product. The website where the weight loss materials can be bought mimics the USA Today website. This is false advertising and follows a formula of using…

Did renowned actress and film producer Jada Pinkett Smith say that "she blames 'white supremacists' for the flop of her new Netflix docudrama series, Queen Cleopatra"? No, that's not true: No credible evidence exists that Pinkett Smith has made any such statement. The website where this claim appeared also has a reputation for publishing fabricated and inaccurate content. The claim…

Did actor Tim Allen agree to film new episodes of Roseanne Barr's new show? No, that's not true: This claim was published on a self-described satirical website aimed at trolling conservatives. Lead Stories could find no credible news reports or public statements confirming that Barr has a new show titled, "Raising the Barr," nor that Allen committed to film seven…

Was Shirley Caesar, a Grammy award-winning gospel singer and celebrated pastor, deceased as of May 9, 2023? No, that's not true: Caesar made at least one public appearance after May 9, 2023. There is also no indication that her health was failing at the time of writing. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) posted on YouTube on May…

Does American television personality Martha Stewart advertise "C0PD Gummies" sold under her name? No, that's not true: Her website does not contain any information about such a product. The video in the Facebook post does not sync with the audio, suggesting someone edited fake or impersonator audio over authentic video. The facebook post uses a common dodge to try to…

Is a kick in the testicles equal to "9000 del of pain" which is equivalent to giving birth to 160 kids or 3,200 bones getting crushed at the same time? No, that's not true: There is no such unit of measurement as a "del." A unit with a similar name briefly used in the middle of last century (the "dol")…

Is Six Flags amusement park corporation sponsoring a promotion on Facebook that offers up to eight complimentary Six Flags tickets? No, that's not true: In 2016 Six Flags posted a "Fraud Alert" on its website warning of social media posts promising tickets for taking a survey or forwarding a post. Six Flags warns that legitimate promotions are posted on the…