Celebrity Endorsement

Did actor John Travolta promote a hair growth product called RenewHair-X in a video on social media? No, that's not true: An audio track of a voice sounding like Travolta's is dubbed over a clip of the actor from a late-night talk show appearance. The audio purportedly spoken by Travolta repeats word-for-word audio purporting to be actor Kevin Costner in…

Did Dr. Mehmet Oz promote a "cure" for prostate disease that does not require surgery? No, that's not true: A representative for Oz told Lead Stories, "This is a fake post fraudulently using Dr. Oz's name and likeness." A link that accompanied a post making the claim on Facebook redirected users to a bogus website posing as NBC News. Also,…

Did Dr. Mehmet Oz promote a gummy cure to "clean out your blood vessels"? No, that's not true: For years the celebrity Dr. Oz has been the subject of false promotional advertising using his name and likeness to sell products, and he has been outspoken about the problem, warning his audience to avoid the scams. Several video clips showing Oz…

Did rapper Lil Wayne endorse a health allowance card in an online promotion? No, that's not true: Lil Wayne, who purportedly backed the plan, did not post such an endorsement on his official social media channels. The claim that the government is freely giving out health benefits worth thousands of dollars is a scam. Such scams are usually attached to…

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 Elon Musk promote a brand of sea moss as a remedy to help a variety of health issues? No, that's not true: This video footage that appears to show Musk volunteering an endorsement during an interview is fake. The clip was taken from an appearance at the TED2022 conference, where Musk discussed purchasing Twitter and other topics but did…

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…

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…

Have celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and country music singer Reba McEntire recently launched their own keto weight loss line of products on live TV? No, that's not true: This is false advertising and follows a formula that is used again and again, featuring spoofed websites that mimic trusted outlets and bounce users to unknown and untraceable affiliate links. There…

Did Ree Drummond reverse her husband's Type 2 diabetes and launch a line of CBD gummies on live TV? No, that's not true: Unscrupulous marketers have hijacked Drummond's name and reputation using Facebook ads and a bogus version of her website "The Pioneer Woman" to sell unproven CBD supplements using a subscription trap scheme. Drummond has been warning her fans…