Did American actor Chris Evans sign a live bomb in 2016 in a photo op? No, that's not true: The object the "Captain America" actor signed was not an explosive device, but a replica, an inert training aid. The actor was at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey on a USO tour with several other entertainers on December 5, 2016. When the photo resurfaced in 2024 with the false suggestion that this shows an explosive shell destined for Gaza, the actor clarified on Instagram, "The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind. It's an inert object used for training or display purposes only."
The image appeared in a post (archived here) where it was published on Threads by @mediumsizemeec on May 29, 2024. The post was captioned:
Speaking of signing bombs--y'all remember when Chris Evans did this in 2016
(Image source: Threads screenshot taken on Mon Jun 03 16:38:06 2024 UTC)
The caption of this post refers to the negative attention drawn by the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, when in late May, 2024, she signed an Israeli artillery shell with the message, "Finish Them!" Amnesty International USA, for instance, decried it as inappropriate grandstanding.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley signed Israeli artillery shells with the message "Finish Them!" Conflict is no place for stunts. Conflict has rules. Civilians must be protected. pic.twitter.com/HtLShHWaKi
-- Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) May 29, 2024
A reverse image search for this photo of Chris Evans with Google lens, shows the photo dates back to December 5, 2016. It was posted to the flickr.com photostream of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and also on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (dvidshub.net) website of the U.S. Department of Defense (pictured below) December 6, 2016. The caption reads:
TURKEY
12.05.2016
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique Pineiro
Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and USO entertainers meet with service members at Incirlik Air Base, Dec. 5, 2016. Dunford, along with USO entertainers, will visit service members who are deployed from home during the holidays at various locations across the globe. This year's entertainers included actor Chris Evans, actress Scarlett Johansson, NBA Legend Ray Allen, 4-time Olympic Medalist Maya DiRado, Country Music Singer Craig Campbell, and mentalist Jim Karol. (DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique A. Pineiro/Released)
(Image source: dvidshub.net screenshot taken on Mon Jun 03 16:38:06 2024 UTC)
This image resurfaced on February 5, 2024, on X with a caption misrepresenting the scene as if it was tied to the Hamas-Israel war. The caption read:
Captain America signing bombs to drop on children is the most American thing he's ever done
A fact check published by afp.com on February 8, 2024, was updated the following day to include a statement from an Air Force spokesperson:
The object Chris Evans is signing in the USO tour photo from 2016 is an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) inert training aid," the spokesperson said. "The object is meant to model an artillery shell and is for display and training purposes only."
A May 31, 2024, article in Metro.co.uk titled, "Hollywood star forced to explain resurfaced picture of him signing 'bomb' prop 8 years ago," features another photo of Evans from the same day of the USO visit. The same airman who was pictured holding the "Inert Training Aid" while Evans signed it is speaking to the guests over a table with a display of ordnance examples. A dvidshub.net photo shows a nearby table also had a bomb suit protective gear. In the background is a black box truck with EOD 'Explosive Ordnance Disposal' markings on the door. In the lower left corner of the photo (pictured below) is a gray object which appears to be the replica artillery shell without a fuze, which Evans signed -- or one similar to it.
(Image source: Metro screenshot taken on Mon Jun 03 18:23:19 2024 UTC)
The Metro article also contains a screenshot of an Instagram story Evans posted on his Instagram account on May 30, 2024. The Instagram Stories feature allows people to post photos and videos that will disappear after 24 hours. Because Evan's post had already disappeared at the time of writing this article on June 3, 2024, this screenshot serves as the best record available. The post (pictured below) ends with a reference to the quote from the Air Force spokesman included in the AFP fact check linked earlier in this article. Evans' post reads:
There's a lot of misinformation surrounding this picture. Some clarification: This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016. I went with a group of actors, athletes and musicians to show appreciation for our service members. The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind.
It's an inert object used for training or display purposes only. You can read the quote from the Air Force in the next story.
(Image source: Metro screenshot taken on Mon Jun 03 18:23:19 2024 UTC)
Other Lead Stories fact checks related to the Hamas-Israel war that started on October 7, 2023, can be found here.
