Sports

Did WWE issue an announcement saying that a World Wrestling Entertainment event scheduled for June 28, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, "will proceed as planned"? No, that's not true: What looked like a statement from the organization was first published on meme and satire pages. As of this writing, WWE hadn't cancelled the event, but also hadn't confirmed that its…

Does a trending video authentically capture U.S. President Donald Trump missing the ball on a golf course in 2025, then grabbing it off the ground before anyone notices? No, that's not true: The footage was digitally altered and had the watermark of an Instagtram account with a bio that read "graphic satirist". The original, of Trump striking the ball at…

Did basketball team Indiana Fever sign up Gertrud Schlaghammer to protect star player Caitlin Clark? No, that's not true: The announcement about the "former Olympic Greco Roman wrestling silver medalist and ex-German special forces operative" was posted on a Facebook page dedicated to sports satire. There was no such announcement on the actual Indiana Fever X account, despite the fake…

Did NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace call for the white flag, which signals the final lap of a race, to be banned, in June 2025? No, that's not true: The rumor originated on a Facebook page that publishes sports-related "sports parodies" and "satire". Wallace, who is Black, previously called for NASCAR to ban displays of the Confederate flag at races, which…

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 former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning buy a dog rescue shelter that was about to close? No, that's not true: A viral Facebook post contained no more than fan fiction and an image that appeared to be AI-generated. The page that published it regularly posts similar heartwarming (and fabricated) stories about Manning, along with pictures that appear AI-generated. The story…

Did New Balance publicly cut ties with Simone Biles, ending a $22 million contract after the gymnast criticised activist Riley Gaines in June 2025? No, that's not true: The rumor originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. Quotes attributed to the footwear brand were fabricated. The claim appeared in a June 10, 2025, post on Facebook (archived here),…

Did Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift attend a "No Kings Day" protest and is there a photo to prove it? No, that's not true: A viral story about the appearance of the pair was illustrated with a photo generated with artificial intelligence. The story also mentioned social media posts by the couple that they didn't actually make and there were…

Did former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning adopt a daughter named Lily? No, that's not true: A viral Facebook post contained no more than fan fiction and images that appeared to be AI-generated. The page that published it regularly posts similar heartwarming (and fabricated) stories about Manning, along with pictures that appear AI-generated. The story appeared in a widely-shared June 10,…

Did sports media report that Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani said "There's a right way and a wrong way to get into this country. They broke the law- they have to go." when commenting on recent LA protests? No, that's not true: That quote appeared on a parody account on X that mimics a baseball podcast named "Talkin' Baseball". There…

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 Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff turn down a $270-million contract offer from Elon Musk in May 2025? No, that's not true: Even though posts promoting the rumor claimed that Goff rebuffed Musk at a high-profile, public charity event, we found no record of any such incident. Nor was there any evidence that Goff said to Musk "Keep it and…

Did basketball star Caitlin Clark publicly refuse to advertise Tesla on her Indiana Fever jersey in May 2025? No, that's not true: A post promoting that rumor contained several fabricated quotes attributed to both Clark and Tesla owner Elon Musk. We found no corroboration for the story, or the claim that Clark had threatened to reveal damaging secrets about Musk.…

Did basketball player LeBron James call Karoline Leavitt "KKK Barbie" in an interview and did she respond that her family "fought to end slavery" while his "came from Jamaica"? No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and…

Do viral posts prove that the tech billionaire decided to celebrate American ice skater Alysa Liu's gold medal at the 2025 women's championship by giving her a Tesla? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no credible reports confirming it. Musk's and Liu's accounts on social media don't offer any support for the claim, either. The claim appeared in a…

Was American basketball player Brittney Griner being investigated for "gambling on her own games", as of April 2025? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a network with a satire label. It has a long history of publishing made-up stories. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X where it was published on May 1, 2025. It…

Was a video of Superbowl MVP Jalen Hurts enjoying a concert with his wife Bry Burrows recorded while his Philadelphia Eagles teammates visited President Donald Trump at the White House in April 2025? No, that's not true: The clip was recorded in July 2024. Hurts was one of several players who did not attend the traditional White House visit. The…

Was basketball player Steph Curry's mother Sonia denied service at a Ferrari dealership and did this lead to the creation of a campaign named "Respect in Every Space" in collaboration with Under Armour? No, that's not true: The viral social media story is very likely fictional as there is no trace of such a campaign on the website of Under…

Did now-retired soccer player Megan Rapinoe lose her job at ESPN after one day in April 2025? No, that's not true: The story originated from a network known for publishing made-up stories with satire labels. As of April 23, 2025, no credible sources had reported Rapinoe was fired. The claim originated from an article (archived here) on the Dunning-Kruger Times…

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…