Did FBI investigators name Tom Hanks as the "sickest participant" in alleged underage sex trafficking involving Sean "Diddy" Combs? No, that's not true: The article saying that offers no evidence that the FBI has released any statements about Hollywood star Hanks being involved in the Combs sex crimes case. Hanks is not mentioned in any of the official court documents that have been released regarding Combs and there are no actual news reports that he was part of any alleged crimes.
The claim appeared in an article published on The People's Voice website on November 23, 2024, titled "Tom Hanks Named as Diddy's 'Sickest Participant' in Pedophile Investigation " (archived here). It began:
Tom Hanks has been portrayed by Hollywood as the classic wholesome, boy-next-door figure, but those who have shared a movie set with him paint a more disturbing picture.
This is what the article looked like on PeoplesVoice.tv at the time of writing:
(Source: PeoplesVoice.tv website screenshot taken on Mon Nov 25 18:37:04 2024 UTC)
The headline of the article made the claim that Hanks was involved in the Combs sex crimes investigation without offering any proof, verification or official statements from the FBI or any other government or law enforcement organization. Nowhere in the story is there any evidence to corroborate the headline claim.
Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024 (archived here), in New York City on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation for purposes of prostitution. He pleaded not guilty. The U.S. Justice Department's September 17, 2024, indictment (archived here) against Combs did not mention Hanks.
The article cited unnamed "investigators" throughout but does not offer any documentation to back up the claims, such as this:
According to investigators, Hanks has been hiding in plain sight for decades, toying with the public while openly promoting the worst excesses of the elite through the use of signs and symbols.
It continues:
Investigators warn that Tom Hank might be one of the sickest members of the cult. Here he is wearing an adrenochrome ring while wearing a cap with a crown symbol and holding an image of a small child.
A search of Google (archived here) and Google News (archived here) of keywords did not find any credible news reports of the FBI connecting Hanks with Combs' crimes.
Hanks has been the subject of baseless fringe QAnon/Pizzagate conspiracy theories that Hollywood elites are sex trafficking minors and drinking their blood. Lead Stories has debunked numerous examples of similar unsubstantiated narratives regarding QAnon.
The People's Voice
The People's Voice is among the most prolific online publishers of fake news. Articles on the site often link to and extensively quote stories from other sites to give an appearance of legitimacy but the main claim in the headline and/or the first paragraph of each article is almost never supported by the sources offered. The site routinely makes up quotes from people or misrepresents scientific study results.
It originally started as YourNewsWire in 2014 and rebranded as NewsPunch in 2017. In 2023 it rebranded itself again as The People's Voice. The People's Voice/NewsPunch/YourNewsWire has published numerous fake news articles in the past, so anything that appears on the site should be taken with a large grain of salt. Its Facebook page, "The People's Voice," lost its verification checkmark, according to a 2018 report from Media Matters For America.
Lead Stories reached out to the FBI for comment and will update the story when a response is received.
Other Lead Stories fact checks of claims regarding Tom Hanks can be found here. Other Lead Stories fact checks regarding claims about Sean Combs can be found here.
