Entertainment

Did Ed Sheeran donate concert tickets to veterans after fans requested refunds over Macklemore's removal from his tour for pro-Palestine statements? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from an account on Facebook that explicitly says that "nothing on this page is real". Lead Stories found zero media coverage corroborating what was shared on social media. The claim appeared in…

Does a video show Ed Sheeran playing a concert alone with a "loop station" after his backing band Beoga quit? No, that's not true: The video footage shows Sheeran in concert on July 1, 2022 at Wembley Stadium in London. Beoga published a statement announcing their departure from the remaining portion of Sheeran's Loop Tour Sept. 15, 2026, and no…

Did Dolly Parton's family deny Taylor Swift's request to headline a tribute concert honoring the late singer? No, that's not true: The story originated from a network of self-described satire websites that place multiple disclaimers on their content saying that nothing they publish is real. As of the time of publication, no tribute concert for Parton had been announced following…

Did California Governor Gavin Newsom's winery receive a state wildfire payout after a 2025 fire? No, that's not true: "The claim is FALSE," Newsom's office told Lead Stories. PlumpJack Group reached a private settlement with Hundred Acre winery, where the fire started, and did not receive state wildfire funds. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the @MrPotatoheadPHD…

Has "Superman" actor Henry Cavill been announced as the next James Bond? No, that's not true: The account that posted the claim is a parody account. There are no credible reports of Cavill starring in the next 007 film installment as of publication time. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the @DiscussingFake_ account on X on Sept.…

Did the 'foreign press' report that the Irish president insisted on being seated away from Donald Trump because he was emanating a disgusting 'fecal' like odor? No, that's not true: There are no credible reports that Catherine Connolly refused to sit near Trump during his visit to Ireland over a 'fecal' odor. His visit was covered by U.S. news outlets…

Do real photos show a bear carrying an injured fox and an injured raccoon to the door of a wildlife center where it had once received care? No, that's not true: The images, designed to look like security camera footage, are AI-generated. The narrative paired with the fake images lacks verifiable details and originated from a Facebook page called StoryTime,…

Does Nike have an ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney with the slogan, "Buy the stock. Just do it."? No, that's not true: The fake ad circulating on social media features an AI-generated likeness of Sydney Sweeney. The meme surfaced after the finance news broke that Nike would no longer be included in the S&P 100 index after Sept. 21, 2026…

Does a real video show Miley Cyrus saying that Dolly Parton left her entire fortune to her? No, that's not true: An online AI detection tool determined the clip was very likely AI-generated, assigning it a 99% confidence score. There is no evidence that Cyrus inherited Parton's fortune, and no credible news organizations reported it as of Sept. 9, 2026.…

Did Arnold Schwarzenegger say he was removing "negger" from his last name because it "could be offensive" and instead going by "Schwarzen"? No, that's not true: The account that posted the claim is a satire and parody entertainment site. There are no credible reports that Schwarzenegger is removing that last part of his name because it could be offensive. The…

Did Donald Trump post an animated video where he is attacking Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with a hockey stick? No, that's not true: Trump did not post an animated video of him beating Carney with a hockey stick. Trump posted a static cartoon image on his Truth Social account wearing hockey gear and holding a stick while standing over…

Does a viral image actually prove that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz posed on camera with Jeffrey Epstein? No, that's not true: The earliest versions of the picture contained an invisible watermark, pointing to Google AI. Case and document numbers visible on early versions of the image did not match any records in the U.S. Department of Justice's Epstein Library. The…

Does a video from the Epstein files show a group of people, including one who is pregnant, chained inside dog kennel cages? No, that's not true: This footage originated from a 2025 Horror production by the YouTube channel Life of Luxury. Each file in the U.S. Department of Justice's Epstein Library has a number which can be used to verify…

Does a real video, filmed secretly from behind a door, show Elon Musk observing a portal at SpaceX? No, that's not true: This video is linked to a creator who makes AI-generated videos and music. Although the portal video with Musk's likeness was posted without a disclaimer, one day earlier the same account published a similar video with an AI…

Did Denzel Washington make some disparaging remarks about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after having a conversation with her? No, that's not true: There is no record of Washington saying these things about Ocasio-Cortez. The almost verbatim quotes were originally falsely attributed to Sylvester Stallone, but came from a source which has clear satire disclaimers. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did singer Billie Eilish lose $800,000 in belongings after leaving her Tribeca penthouse unlocked for three days to prove that "Mamdani's New York" is safe? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from a known trollery network that adds satire labels to each of its pages. No credible media organizations reported anything remotely similar to the online speculation about a…

Does a real video show flood waters in Nepal destroying an entire village street? No, that's not true: An online detection tool rated the video as 97.2% likely generated by AI and not actual footage of the Aug. 26, 2026 flooding disaster. There are several glitches in the video that are the hallmarks of AI. The claim appeared in an…

Did a woman jump from a helicopter to a trampoline by the Colosseum in Rome, and bounce back up to catch hold of the helicopter's tail? No, that's not true: the architecture of the Colosseum and surrounding city do not align with the real location and there are glitches with the shadows in the video. Additionally, one AI video detector…

Is a video that shows a lion reuniting with a female caretaker and allowing the woman to embrace it real? No, that's not true: The original video appears to be AI-generated. The account that originally posted the video has posted other AI animal content. The claim appeared in a video posted by X account @korkuvetitremee on Aug. 21, 2026 (archived…

Did U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio say that he would not protect actor Tom Hanks from the supposed Greek "impropriety" investigation? No, that's not true: The story is entirely fictitious. It originated from a network of self-described satire websites that place multiple disclaimers on their content to say that nothing they publish is real. The claim appeared in a…