Social media users are sharing a photo they say shows US basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who has HIV -- the virus that can lead to AIDS -- donating blood for Covid-19 patients. This is false; the claim stems from a self-described satire page, and the image shows Johnson submitting blood for laboratory testing in 2012.

"Earlier today, NBA legend Magic Johnson donated some of his blood to the Red Cross to help underprivileged communities help fight COVID-19," says text in an August 20, 2022 Instagram post, which includes a picture of Johnson smiling as a doctor draws blood from his right arm.

Similar posts have racked up nearly 100,000 interactions across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, according to CrowdTangle, a social media insights tool. The claim has also spread in TikTok videos with tens or hundreds of thousands of views each.

"That's a g*nocide," said the caption of a now-deleted August 20, 2022 Instagram post.

The rumor appears to stem from an August 18, 2022 tweet by an account whose bio says it spreads "narratives with misinformation (satire)." The page confirmed the post, which has since been deleted, was made-up.

"I meant no harm to Magic Johnson," the account told AFP. "I can't control if people are taking my posts and spreading them as true fact. I try to make it obvious that I am a satire page."

Both Johnson and the American Red Cross have also refuted the claims.

"I'm aware of the false story circling the internet, and to be clear, I have never...

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