Athletes

Did Metallica vocalist James Hetfield commit to pay for the education of Kirk's children, as multiple social media posts said? No, that's not true: There were no news reports or public statements backing up any of that. Hetfield has made no such announcement, nor have other celebrities whom social media engagement campaigns falsely claim are making the same "commitment." The…

Did Mookie Betts or other athletes say "If you want people to speak kindly about you after you're gone, then you should speak kindly while you're alive." in relation to the shooting of Charlie Kirk? No, that's not true: The fake quote, also attributed online to Bryce Harper, Mike Norvell, Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy, Julian Sayin, Aaron Judge, Dwayne "The…

Did a variety of musicians, athletes, and coaches issue a lifetime ban against a man who was filmed "celebrating" in the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk's shooting? No, that's not true on two counts: First, the articles about the lifetime bans are not true. They are copy/paste clickbait slop -- a formula to intermingle names of celebrities with Charlie Kirk's…

Did a viral video showing a female soccer player shouting "Free Palestine" and lifting her shirt to reveal a Palestinian flag originate from actual news sources? No, that's not true: It appeared on a TikTok account that published AI generated content in the past. The footage contained several details hinting at an AI origin such as odd lettering, players melting…

Did The International Olympic Committee plan a vote on moving the 2028 Games out of Los Angeles? No, that's not true: The meme spreading that news originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer and a warning that all the contents of the page are made up.The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and…

Did the International Federation of Football (FIFA) move the World Cup 2026 from the United States because of President Trump's strict immigration policies? No, this is not true: As of June 4, 2025, FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, have not announced any changes to the hosting arrangement for the tournament, which will be held for the first time in…

Did activist and former swimmer Riley Gaines "make it to the Olympics"? No, that's not true: Her name was not on the 2024 U.S. national team roster. It doesn't appear on the official website of the Olympic Games, either. The claim appeared in an interview aired on Fox News and uploaded to YouTube on April 16, 2025. At the 1:25…

Did basketball star Caitlin Clark reject a "$15 Million Offer" from Elon Musk? No, that's not true: Musk did not make the public statement the story said he did. It also contained several phrases from almost identical false stories about Dawn Staley and Patrick Mahomes that went viral earlier this month. Viral claims on social media were often accompanied by…

Is a picture of a goat statue covered in fake money with President Donald Trump's face on it being displayed at Mar-a-Lago real? Yes it appears so: Video of the statue appeared on the Instagram account of Project G.O.A.T., which calls itself an "art-based awareness and support campaign in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children." Details…

American Airlines reported a Bombardier CRJ700 plane flying under their regional airline brand American Eagle was involved in an accident over the Potomac river while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. Accoring to the FAA the plane collided with an Army UH-60 helicopter with three crewmembers on board. The statement from American Airlines read: American Eagle…