Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock onstage at Sunday’s 94th Academy Awards was a moment that was hard to believe.
But false news about the shocking confrontation that upended one of Hollywood’s biggest nights came later on social media, including a fabricated letter of apology attributed to Rock and a miscaptioned celebrity reaction photo that has become an internet meme.
Here’s a closer look at claims that have spread widely online.
___
CLAIM: Rock issued a public apology for his joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, saying he “crossed a line that I shouldn’t have and paid the enormous price of my reputation as a renown comedian.”
THE FACTS: The apology, which included several spelling errors, is fake. Rock issued no such apology, a representative for the comedian told The Associated Press in an email Tuesday afternoon. The fabricated apology attributed to Rock amassed millions of views across social media platforms. “As a comedian it can be difficult to understand which lines are to be crossed and which ones aren’t,” the fake statement read. “Last night I crossed a line that I shouldn’t have and paid the enormous price of my reputation as a renown comedian. Comedy is never about poking fun at or making lite of people with major ordeals happening in their lives. Comedy is about using real life circumstances to create laughter and bring light to an otherwise dark world.” The bogus statement continued with direct apologies to Pinkett Smith, Smith and the rest of...
Turkish base fake news in Armenia For several days, a video has been circulating on social media claiming that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan allegedly signed a “secret agreement” with EU ...