Entertainment

Did actor Kevin Costner file a lawsuit against the American Broadcasting Company's television talk show "The View" for hate speech? No, that's not true: This claim originated from a self-described satirical website aimed at trolling conservatives. Lead Stories could find no credible news reports or public statements confirming that Costner sued ABC or "The View." The website that posted the…

Did actor Denzel Washington refuse to play the role of a "secretly gay" character in a Disney superhero movie? No, that's not true: A satirical website originally published the article that makes this claim. The story (archived here) was published by the Dunning-Kruger Times under the headline: Denzel Washington Refuses To Work for Disney's 'Woke Cinematic Universe' The article continued:…

Did security footage capture the moment when an "angry" warehouse robot attacked a human worker? No, that's not true: This is a short science fiction film made by a film company in Georgia with CGI. The company, Sozo Bear Films, emailed Lead Stories, confirming that this footage is not real and was created with visual effects. The claim appeared on…

Did former Fox News host Tucker Carlson turn down a $30 million offer to host a show on CNN? No, that's not true: This article is satire published by The Dunning-Kruger Times, part of a network of satire sites from America's Last Line of Defense. Although this network offers clear disclaimers that nothing on their websites are true, these stories…

Do jumpy cuts in the asparagus-eating video recorded by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield while in the zero-gravity environment in 2013 prove it was shot in a "Hollywood basement," outer space does not exist and Earth is flat? No, that's not true: In 2015, Hadfield, who became known not only as a space explorer but also as a space video blogger,…

Was basketball superstar Kobe Bryant suing the company behind Black Mamba Hyperrush over their energy supplements' supposed opioid contamination? No, that's not true: Bryant was suing a company in a trademark dispute for using the name Black Mamba Hyperrush; the lawsuit never mentions opioids. According to court records, the suit was settled on January 2, 2020, weeks before his death…

Did members of the Queen's Guard in the United Kingdom retaliate against tourists who taunted and harassed them until they finally lashed out? No, that's not true: The video compilation was put together for social media channels by actors who stage public pranks and social experiments. The claim appears in a post and video on Facebook (archived here) published by…

Did Anheuser-Busch close half of its U.S. breweries after "the worst goof in marketing history"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories could not find any news reports of Anheuser-Busch closing half of its U.S. breweries. Anheuser-Busch's web page of news releases includes no such announcement. This claim is from a satirical website. The site has a disclaimer that describes the…

Under the RESTRICT Act, would a person be fined up to $1 million and imprisoned for a minimum of 20 years for accessing content on TikTok if it's banned in the United States in the future? Yes, that's partially true: However, none of the legal experts contacted by Lead Stories believe prosecutors would pursue such charges against someone using a…

Is country singer Trisha Yearwood endorsing or selling weight-loss gummies? No, that's not true: Yearwood has denied that she made any such endorsement and Lead Stories did not find publicly available evidence that she has previously endorsed weight-loss gummies. The claim appeared in a post on Facebook published on April 28, 2023. The video included in the post is titled…

Did CNN produce or air a documentary popularizing a baseless conspiracy theory about three cities controlling the world? No, that's not true: A video clip on social media recycled a fragment from a film that, in turn, reused 1997 footage from CNN that included the network's logo. The claim appeared in a clip published on TikTok on April 28, 2023.…

Did the chief executive officer (CEO) of Spotify offer Tucker Carlson $129 million to host a podcast? No, that's not true: This story originated from a website that clearly labels itself fiction/satire aimed at trolling conservatives. No corporate statement or credible independent reporting supports the claim. The claim appeared in an article published by the Patriot Party Press on April…

Did former Fox News host Tucker Carlson file suit against Whoopi Goldberg and "The View," the TV talk show she moderates, for dehumanizing remarks? No, that's not true: This article was published by the Dunning-Kruger Times, one of several satire sites run by Christopher Blair, who describes himself as a "liberal troll." These websites have disclaimers explaining that "Everything on…

Does BlackRock own Dominion Voting Systems? No, that's not true: A BlackRock spokesperson told Lead Stories the asset management/investment company owns part of Dominion Resources Inc., a completely different company, in the energy sector. The similarly-named voting software and ballot equipment company, Dominion Voting Systems, is owned by Staple Street Capital and its employees. Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News…

Would a bill in the Florida legislature impose the death penalty for admitting children to drag shows? No, that's not true: Bills before lawmakers in the Sunshine State would make it illegal to take children to drag shows, and would also impose the death penalty for certain sexual offenders against children, but those are two separate pieces of legislation. Taking…

Was the children's book "Abuela" banned in "many states" as of April 20, 2023? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence as of this writing that the book has been banned at the county, state or federal level. The claim originated in a video shared to Instagram on April 14, 2023, by actress Stephanie Beatriz, with a caption…

Did Bud Light introduce a new "lol CRYBABIES" billboard campaign as a response to recent backlash over the brand's association with transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney? No, that's not true: This is not a real ad campaign from Bud Light. The "lol CRYBABIES" image is a digital manipulation by TikTok video creator @.jamisonlightfoot, who has posted other videos with…

Did a photo recently surface that shows Jeffrey Epstein posing with four children on a tropical beach? No, that's not true: This is not a real photo but an image created with the AI program Midjourney. This image, and another in the same vein showing a likeness of Epstein posing with five children, were posted on Instagram by an account…

Does a video circulating on social media show mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox speaking in a "male" voice? No, that's not true: The clip appears to have been digitally altered to make it sound lower. Fox, who is an openly transgender female athlete, denied that the recording reflects the way she speaks. Other videos of the same event show…

Did Michael Jordan turn down a $120 million deal with Disney on April 3, 2023? No, that's not true: This story originated from the website The Dunning-Kruger Times, which has a disclaimer stating, "Everything on this website is fictional." This website is in connection with the satirical network, "America's Last Line of Defense." America's Last Line of Defense has a…