Baseless QAnon conspiracy theories accusing celebrities of horrific child abuse have been a hallmark of online disinformation campaigns for nearly a decade.
Despite an absence of evidence behind allegations that famous public figures are somehow connected to an underground network of child abusers, the theories have permeated online conversations, infamously supporting and courting the attention of former President Donald Trump.
While these bizarre and damaging claims have quieted down in recent years, many still find their way above the parapet, including a spurious rumor spread on Twitter this week.
The Claim
A tweet, which was posted on November 27 and has received more than 35,000 engagements, includes a photo of what looks like a BBC News story with the headline "Tom Hanks arrested on 135 counts of child porn possession."
The tweet says, "Remember this- Tom Hanks arrest was on the BBC website for a few moments."
The Facts
The claim about Tom Hanks is completely false. It is based on a fabricated BBC News story that has previously been spread on social media.
As confirmed by Reuters, the photo is digitally manipulated. The BBC confirmed to Reuters it did not publish the story.
Newsweek has found no such stories from other bona fide media outlets about Tom Hanks' arrest.
The Twitter account it came from (much like other sources that shared the baseless rumor) also tweets content linked to QAnon and COVID-19 vaccine conspiracies.
Hanks has been the target of other false...
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