Tag Archives: Photo

Did Michelle Obama Release Photos Of Herself Pregnant?!

Did Michelle Obama just release photos of herself pregnant, to prove that she is a real woman?!

Take a look at the viral photos, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-10-01 : Added fact check video
Originally posted @ 2023-09-30

Claim : Michelle Obama Released Photos Of Herself Pregnant!

People are sharing photos that they claim were taken when Michelle Obama was pregnant, to prove that she is a real woman.

Charlotte, The Baroness : BREAKING: Michelle Obama silences ALL conspiracy theorists and demands a universal apology after FINALLY releasing glowing pregnancy photos when she was expecting Sasha and Malia.

Was_it_Planned : You can fake the baby bump. We need 3 independent DNA samples analyzed to prove man or women.

The rest is smoke and mirrors. I think she’s a he! While you’re at it, DNA test the kids to verify birth parents are Obama’s.

Ultra Maga Tx Teresa 🇺🇸 : 😂🤣😆😂 we know you’re a dude & we’ve seen their real parents. 🤡🤡

Truth : Those Are Not Photos Of A Pregnant Michelle Obama!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about Barack and Michelle Obama, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Michelle Obama Never Released Photos Of Herself Pregnant

First, let me just point out that Michelle Obama has never released photos of herself while pregnant with Sasha or Malia.

That’s not to say they don’t exist. It is likely that they exist – they were simply not made available to us – members of the public.

Perhaps she’s just like many of us who don’t share private photos on social media. Perhaps she did not want to “jinx” her pregnancies.

After all, Michelle and Barack Obama had trouble getting pregnant, and she suffered a miscarriage. They ultimately conceived Malia and Sasha through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Fact #2 : The Photos Were AI-Generated

I took a look at all four photos and quickly determined that they were AI-generated, and rather poor examples at that.

The first two are better examples, but if you look closely, you can see that her hands are grossly distorted. She not only has at least six fingers on each hand, they are of wrong lengths and with nails in the wrong position.

These two examples are terrible. The example on the left does not even look like Michelle Obama. Perhaps a young Oprah Winfrey? Of course, Oprah never had children…

The one on the right looks more like Michelle Obama but had grossly exaggerated features, including a hump neck. But the easiest way to identify it as an AI-generated fake photo is by looking at her hands.

As you can see, both examples have distorted hands. In the example on the left, the fingers of both hands appear to merge together. In the example of the right, her left hand has six unnaturally long fingers, while her right hand has a ridiculously long thumb.

Fact #3 : Online Tools Confirmed Images Were AI-Generated

Just in case you don’t trust my Mark 1 eyeballs, or my common sense, you will be glad to know that two online tools used to detect AI-generated photos – AI or Not, and Illuminarty, have confirmed all four photos were generated using AI image generators.

Fact #4 : Michelle Obama Was Born A Woman

There is no need for Michelle Obama to release any photos of herself pregnant to prove that she is a woman.

Even if you ignore the fact that she gave birth to two girls, Michelle Obama grew up as a female. Her family and friends only knew her as a girl and then, a woman. Never as a boy or a man who later became transgender.

Michelle Obama sometimes shares photos of her childhood on her Instagram account. They are all proof that she grew up as a girl, never as a boy.

On the other hand, all these claims that she was born a boy has never been backed by any evidence.

Fact #5 : Michelle Obama Gave Birth To Two Girls

Claims that Michelle Obama was born a man is not only false, it’s absurdly ridiculous, because she gave birth to two girls – Malia Obama and Sasha Obama.

For those who are wondering – transgender women cannot give birth, or suffer miscarriages, as they were born men, and lack both ovaries and uterus. And no, Malia and Sasha Obama were not adopted

Ultimately, these fake photos, and claims about Michelle Obama being transgender, are just attempts by misogynists and Republicans of the MAGA persuasion to disparage Barack and Michelle Obama.

As the 2024 US Presidential Election draws close, you can expect more rumours of Michelle Obama joining the race, and even more fake news and photos about her.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Simon Cowell Just Die Suddenly In A Car Crash?!

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Did Simon Cowell just die suddenly in a tragic car crash?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-09-28 : Added updated MediaMass claim
Updated @ 2023-08-16 : Added video fact check
Originally posted @ 2023-01-07

Claim : Simon Cowell Just Died In A Tragic Car Crash!

People are sharing YouTube and TikTok videos which claim that Simon Cowell just died suddenly in a hospital, with titles like :

(RIP) Very Sad News 2 minutes ago in Chicago, “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell, He has been confirmed as…

5 Minutes Ago / The UNEXPECTED Death Of Simon Cowell / R.I.P. Legend

5 minutes ago! Millions of people cried over the sudden death of “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell.

5 minutes ago / Terrible devastation about “America’s Got Talent “Simon Cowell, tearful farewell.

3 hours ago/funeral took place/ Simon Cowell’s sudden passing left thousands of fans heartbroken

40 minutes ago in Chicago, “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell, he has been confirmed as…

10 minutes ago in Chicago, “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell died suddenly at the hospital

10 minutes ago : We announce very sad news about Simon Cowell, he has been confirmed as..

5 minutes ago announced that simon cowell died at the hospital…😳🤐 #viral #viralvideo

Truth : Simon Cowell Did Not Die Suddenly In A Car Crash

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported his death.

Never mind his wealth, Simon Cowell is a celebrity in his own right. Even if he did not die, the worldwide media would have reported on his car accident or hospitalisation.

No legitimate media outlet reported that Simon Cowell was hospitalised, never mind dying suddenly in a car crash. That’s because it never happened!

Fact #2 : Simon Cowell Is Still Alive + Well!

Simon Cowell – the long-time judge on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent is still very much alive and well, as of Sunday, 23 September 2023.

That was when he reposted the AGT announcement that Mel B is back as a judge, and will joining Simon Cowell, Terry Crews, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel in the new America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League show!

Fact #3 : The Photos Were Edited

I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of four examples used in many of these videos.

This photo that shows Simon Cowell on a hospital bed, was edited from a real photo of a kidney transplant patient called Gerhard van Tonder. The photo was taken in October 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Healthcare professionals will immediately notice that Simon Cowell is not intubated despite being mysteriously hooked up to a ventilator!

If you look carefully, you will also notice that Simon Cowell’s head is oddly larger than normal – to superimpose over Gerhard’s head in the real photo.

If you zoom into the fake photo, you can even see a white border around Simon Cowell’s head – a clear sign it was added to the photo.

The photo of this white SUV was taken on July 17, 2019 on Highway 6 near Freelton, Ontario, Canada. The driver was a 38 year-old woman, not Simon Cowell.

This photo was also misappropriated from another car accident, this time in the Selma neighbourhood in the San Fernando Valley, on May 9, 2021.

The driver was a 57 year-old woman who died in that accident. Again, not Simon Cowell.

This fake photo is a pretty good edit, albeit showing Simon Cowell smiling with his eyes closed – odd for someone who was dying or has already died.

But it was really a photo of Blake Bargatze, a 24 year-old man, who was being treated at a South Florida hospital for COVID-19 in March 2021.

Bargatze, unfortunately, did not qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine at that time, and got infected. His condition grew worse over time, and he eventually had to be placed on an ECMO machine to let his lungs heal.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and he ended up with a double-lung transplant in June 2021, to save his life.

Fact #4 : Simon Cowell Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Simon Cowell death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fake fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:

News of television host Simon Cowell’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the September 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the creator of Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor is alive and well.

Rumors of the television host’s alleged demise gained traction on Monday after a ‘R.I.P. Simon Cowell’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the British television host’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday (September 26, 2023), our beloved television host Simon Cowell passed away. Simon Cowell was born on October 7, 1959 in London. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 63-year-old television host was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major British network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a television host of Simon Cowell’s stature would be major news across networks.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Simon Cowell Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Simon Cowell’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barry Gibb, Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood, Celine Dion, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dolly Parton, Harrison Ford, Justin Bieber, Lionel Messi, Lucy Liu, Madonna, Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Pattinson, Sylvester Stallone, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, and Tom Hanks.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Putin Threaten To Release 9/11 Satellite Evidence?!

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Did Russian President Vladimir Putin threaten to release secret satellite evidence of US government’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-09-21 : Added new information on the Pravda article, and the Russian satellite.
Originally posted @ 2022-03-11

Claim : Putin Threatened To Release 9/11 Satellite Evidence!

People are sharing a long message which claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to release secret satellite evidence of US government involvement in the 9/11 attacks!

They appear to believe that Putin issued this threat in retaliation for US sanctions against Russia, and military assistance to Ukraine. It’s a long post, so please skip to the next section for the facts…

Putin is going to hit once, but he’s going to hit hard. Russia is preparing the release of evidence of the involvement of the US government and intelligence services in the September 11 attacks. The list of evidence includes satellite images.

Published material can prove the US government complicity in the 9/11 attacks and the successful manipulation of public opinion. The attack was planned by the US government, but exercised using her proxy, so that an attack on America and the people of the United States looked like an act of aggression by international terrorist organizations.

The motive for deception and murder its own citizens served US oil interests and the Middle East state corporations. The evidence will be so convincing that it utterly debunks the official 9/11 cover story supported by the US government.

Russia proves that America is no stranger to using false flag terrorism against its citizens in order to achieve a pretext for military intervention in a foreign country. In the case of “the September 11 attacks,” the evidence will be conclusive satellite imagery.

If successful, the consequences of Putin’s tactics would expose the US government’s secret terrorist policies. The government’s credibility will be undermined and should bring about mass protests in the cities leading to an uprising, according to American analysts..

And as the United States will look on the world political arena? The validity of America’s position as a leader in the fight against international terrorism will be totally undermined giving immediately advantage to rogue states and Islamic terrorists.

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Truth : Putin Did Not Threaten To Release 9/11 Satellite Evidence!

This is yet another example of pro-Russia FAKE NEWS that are spamming social media, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Pravda Article Was Posted In February 2015

The Pravda article (translated archive | original Russian) was actually posted on 7 February 2015, and updated on 10 February 2015. This was specifically mentioned in the 2015 examples :

VT Editor’s note: Russian satellite evidence proving the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center using “special weapons” was reviewed by a VT editor while in Moscow.

The article below was forwarded to us for publication in the US and translated from Russian. It is 3 days old, published on February 7, 2015.

The fake news creators removed that section, to mislead you into thinking that this was a new threat by Putin in 2022 and 2023.

Fact #2 : No Evidence Putin Threatened To Release 9/11 Satellite Photos

Even though the viral post is based on a Pravda article, there never was any evidence that Vladimir Putin himself actually threatened to release satellite photos, or evidence of any 9/11 conspiracy.

The Pravda article itself did not make that claim. It only claimed that Russia is “preparing” to release evidence of the involvement of the US government and intelligence services in the 9/11 attacks.

Fact #3 : Russia Did Not Release Any Evidence Of 9/11 Conspiracy

If the Pravda article is true, then Russia is taking an extraordinarily long time to release evidence of a 9/11 conspiracy by the US government and intelligence services.

Despite preparing for over 8.5 years – since February 2015 – the Russian government has never released any evidence of any conspiracy by the US government in the September 11 attacks.

No satellite imagery… no photos… no documents… no evidence in any form or manner. Why not? Does it take that long to develop and digitise the photos from Russian satellites?

Fact #3 : Russian Satellites Were Terrible In 2001

It would also be quite a feat for Russia to provide “conclusive satellite imagery” as the Pravda article alleges, as Russian electro-optical satellites were not quite “state-of-the-art” in 2001, and that’s being generous.

At that time, they used the Yantar-4K2 (Cobalt / Kobalt) satellite – a slightly improved version of the Yantar-4KS1M (Neman / Неман) satellite, which had a resolution of just under a meter using the Zhemchug-18 camera.

These satellites have a limited lifespan of just 26 to 32 weeks, and used film which could be returned using two small canisters mid-mission, and a larger reentry module at the end.

Russia only had one in operation at that time – (Космос 2377) Cosmos 2377, which was launched on 29 May 2001, and dropped out of orbit on 10 October 2001.

Cosmos 2377 could plausibly have taken photos of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, but the images was likely only as good as the Maxar IKONOS commercial imaging satellite.

Note that the Kobalt satellite is different from the Kobalt-M (Yantar-4K2M) satellite, which features upgraded optics with reported image resolution of 30 cm (0.3m), and a modernised platform. The first Kobalt-M satellite was launched on 24 September 2004.

Fact #4 : There Are Many Satellite Images Of 9/11 Attack

There is no real need for the Russians to share their satellite photos, because there are many publicly-available satellite photos on the September 11 attacks.

The private satellite imaging company, Maxar, for example, shared this high-resolution photo of ground zero at the World Trade Center on 15 September, 2001.

Taken by IKONOS, which had a resolution of 0.82 to 1 metre, it gives you a good idea of the image quality and resolution that are already available for free to the public. So it begs the question – do the Russians really have better images than that?

Fact #5 : Satellites Have Limitations

Despite being extremely useful, imaging satellites not magical instruments. They have limitations in what they can and cannot do.

For example, they have to generally stay in a pre-determined orbit, and “fly through” an area – leaving large gaps during which there is no coverage.

They also cannot look inside or under solid objects – planes, buildings, trees; and their view can be obscured by smoke and clouds, unless they have multi-spectral ability.

You can see how the smoke obscures the picture in this Maxar image taken of the Manhattan financial district on September 11, 2001.

It is therefore highly improbable that any satellite image from way up high would have captured “incriminating evidence” of the US government’s involvement in the September 11 attacks.

Fact #6 : 9/11 Attack Was Committed By Al Qaeda

In the past 22 years, the many conspiracy theories have all been repeatedly looked into and debunked.

We now know, with absolute certainty, that the September 11 attacks were conceived by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, approved by Osama bin Laden, and carried out by nineteen Al Qaeda terrorists.

There was no US government involvement in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Osama bin Laden himself claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks on several occasions. You don’t need a satellite to know that.

Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check out!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Mexico Did It Photo : Can It Infect Your Phone With Virus?!

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Can the “Mexico Did It” photo infect your phone with a virus in just 5 seconds?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-09-13 : Revised for a new wave
Originally posted @ 2022-11-07

Claim : “Mexico Did It” Photo Will Infect Your Phone With A Virus!

The warning about the “Mexico Did It” photo or image that will infect your phone with a virus keeps going… viral on WhatsApp and social media.

There are two versions so far – in English, and in Spanish.

FYI: They are going to publish an image that shows how Covid 19 is cured in Mexico and it is called “Mexico did it”, do not open it because it enters the phone in 5 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. It’s a virus. Pass it on to your friends and family. Now they also said it on CNN and BBC. DO NOT OPEN IT

Pass it on

Van a publicar una imagen que muestra como el Covid 19 se cura en Mexico y se llama “Mexico lo hizo” no lo abran porque entra al telefono en 5 segundos y no se puede frenar de ninguna forma. Es un virus. Pasenlo a sus familiares y amigos. Ahora lo dijeron tambien en CNN y BBC

Truth : There Is No “Mexico Did It” Photo / Virus!

This is just another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Viral Message Has Been Circulating Since 2021

The viral message about the “Mexico Did It” photo or virus has been circulating on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter since April 2021.

Fact #2 : This Is A Modified Version Of “Argentina Is Doing It”

This viral message is actually a modified version of an earlier fake message, which claims that a video on WhatsApp called “Argentina is doing it” will hack your phone in 10 seconds.

It just replaces Argentina with Mexico, a video with a photo, and changes it from a 10-second hack into a 5-second virus attack.

Those two fake news are, in turn, probably based on the even older fake claim that hackers are using greeting photos and videos to hack your phone.

Fact #3 : There Is No “Mexico Did It” Photo / Virus

There is no such thing as a “Mexico Did It” image or photo. Neither is there a virus called “Mexico Did It“.

There is also no known virus that can infect your phone with a virus simply using a photo or image.

Fact #4 : CNN + BBC Never Reported On Such A virus

It’s been over 2.5 years since this fake story first appeared on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, but neither CNN nor BBC has ever reported on a “Mexico Did It” virus.

Fact #5 : Image-Based Malware Is Possible, But…

Digital steganography is a method by which secret messages and other data can be hidden in digital files, like a photo or a video, or even a music file.

It is also possible to embed malicious code within a photo, but it won’t be a full-fledged malware that can execute by itself.

At most, it can be used to hide the malware payload from antivirus scanners, which is pretty clever to be honest… but it cannot hack your smartphone by itself.

Fact #6 : Image-Based Malware Requires User Action

In January 2019, cybercriminals created an online advertisement with a script that appears innocuous and would pass any malware check.

However, the image itself has an “almost white” rectangle that is recognised by the script, triggering it to redirect the user to the cybercriminals’ website. Once there, the victim is tricked into installing a Trojan disguised as an Adobe Flash Player update.

Such a clever way to bypass malware checks, but even so, this image-based malware requires user action.

You cannot get infected by the Trojan if you practice good “Internet hygiene” by not downloading or installing anything from unknown websites.

Fact #7 : Malicious Code Executes Immediately

If you accidentally download and trigger malware, it will execute immediately. It won’t take 5 seconds, as the hoax message claims.

Generally, malware won’t wait a few seconds before it infects your devices. Waiting will only increase the risk of detection.

Unless the malware creator designed it to only infect your phone when you are sleeping (like the early hours of the morning), it pays to execute immediately.

Now that you know the facts, please SHARE this article with your family and friends, and SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Bruce Willis Just Die Suddenly In Hospital?!

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Did Bruce Willis just die in the hospital from his newly-diagnosed frontotemporal dementia, or a car accident?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-08-28 : Updated with new details and video fact check.
Originally posted @ 2023-05-30

Claim : Bruce Willis Just Died In A Hospital!

People are sharing YouTube and Facebook videos claiming to prove that Bruce Willis just died suddenly in a hospital after his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, or a tragic car accident, with titles like :

Stop breathing 5 minutes ago / Bruce Willis Died on the way to the hospital / Goodbye Bruce Willis

30 Minute Ago! Bruce Willis Passed away in a tragic accident

At Bruce Willis’s tragic funeral! Our condolences to Bruce Willis’s family, goodbye Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis.. Rest in Peace, Great American Film and Television Actor

Heartbreaking Final Moments Of Legendary Actor Bruce Willis – cause of death is hidden!!!

A tragic funeral! With a heavy heart, before a tearful farewell to Bruce Willis, goodbye legend

R.I.P Bruce Willis was confirmed by a doctor to be dead at 5am, Goodby and rest in peace!

Bruce Willis’s final moments in the hospital, he died in the arms of his loved ones

Funeral Is Tomorrow R.I.P. Legendary Actor Bruce Willis Heart stopped

10 Minutes Ago / Bruce Willis Just Died At Home / Goodbye Bruce Willis

Truth : Bruce Willis Did Not Die In A Hospital

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Bruce Willis’ death.

Never mind the slew of ridiculously terrible movies he participated in, Bruce Willis remains a Hollywood mega star. His diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) got front page news all over the world!

If Bruce Willis really did die, whether from his dementia, a car accident, or a heart attack, the worldwide media would have reported on it.

No legitimate media outlet reported that Bruce Willis died suddenly in a hospital from any cause. Only a bunch of small-time celebrity death blogs / small YouTube and Facebook channels!

Fact #2 : Bruce Willis Is Still Alive + Well!

Bruce Willis did not die, and is still very much alive and well, as of Friday, August 25, 2023. That was when he posted a photo of himself on his official Instagram account.

Bruce Willis officially retired from acting in March 2022, after his aphasia diagnosis, but he did not die in 2022 as alleged.

Neither did Bruce Willis die in February 2023, as alleged, because his family announced his aphasia was caused by frontotemporal dementia on February 16!

In May and August 2023, people also claimed that Bruce Willis died suddenly in the hospital, but no, he’s very much still alive.

Fact #3 : Bruce Willis Death Photos Were Edited

I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of two examples used in many of these videos.

This photo that shows Bruce Willis on a hospital bed, was edited from a stock photo of an old man, taken by Raul Rodriguez. It’s titled “Elderly 80 plus year old man recovering from surgery in a hospital bed“.

In addition, the purple ribbon isn’t used for awareness of frontotemporal dementia, which is relatively uncommon. The purple ribbon is often used to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy and pancreatic cancer.

Incidentally, frontotemporal dementia is different from Alzheimer’s disease, affecting a different part of the brain, and presenting with different symptoms.

Recommended : The Sara Lee Car Accident / Death Video Scam!

This photo of a large funeral is not of Bruce Willis, but of Irish makeup artist Cathriona White, taken on October 10, 2015.

If you look carefully, you can spot actor Jim Carrey looking sombre next to the pallbearer. He dated Cathriona White for three years, from 2012-2015. She died from a suicide by prescription drug overdose on September 28, 2015.

The fake news creator just added a photo of Bruce Willis, making it look like Jim Carrey and the lady beside him were carrying it. The truth is there was no photo, and they were just holding hands.

This photo of Bruce Willis’s funeral is also fake. This is actually a photo of Serbian folk singer, Šaban Šaulić, who died on February 17, 2019. His funeral was held on February 22, 2019.

The fake news creator flipped the photo, and superimposed a large and overly bright head of Sylvester Stallone together with a photo of Bruce Willis magically floating in front of him!

Fact #4 : Bruce Willis Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Bruce Willis death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.

News of actor Bruce Willis’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the August 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in The Fifth Element or Die Hard is alive and well.

Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Wednesday after a ‘R.I.P. Bruce Willis’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday (August 27, 2023), our beloved actor Bruce Willis passed away. Bruce Willis was born on March 19, 1955 in Idar-Oberstein. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 68-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Bruce Willis’ stature would be major news across networks.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Bruce Willis Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Bruce Willis’ unnamed reps confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps of celebrities MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Barry Gibb, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Oprah Winfrey, Simon Cowell, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Toby Keith, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Dolly Parton, Lucy Liu, and Melanie Laurent.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Barry Gibb Of The Bee Gees Just Die Suddenly?!

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Did Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees just die suddenly, with his family mysteriously hiding his cause of death?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-08-21 : Added fact check video
Originally posted @ 2023-08-19

Claim : Barry Gibb Of The Bee Gees Just Died Suddenly!

A number of YouTube channels are claiming that Barry Gibb of the legendary Bee Gees just died suddenly under mysterious / unknown circumstances.

Barry Gibb († 76) is dead – cause of death is hidden!

5 minutes ago! Sad news for singer Barry Gibb, family in mourning

10 minutes ago / Family reported the sad news of musician Barry Gibb / Farewell with tears

1 hour ago! Barry Gibb passed away at the age of 76… Fans cried loudly.

2 hours ago / Barry Gibb’s family announced / Barry Gibb has passed away forever.

R.I.P Barry Gibb has passed away at the age of 76, the funeral took place in 3 days.

Barry Gibb has passed away after many years of pain, goodbye Barry Gibb, we will miss you so much!

Devastating News: Barry Gibb, Music Icon, Passes Away, Just 5 Minutes Ago!

Sad News! Singer Barry Gibb Is Pass Away Expected Soon Family Prepare To Say Goodbye

Truth : Barry Gibb Did Not Just Die Suddenly!

This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS reated and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Barry Gibb’s death.

Barry Gibb is more than just an international celebrity, he is a living legend. Even if he only tripped in public and grazed his shin, it would have been breathlessly reported on by the celebrity blogs, if not the mainstream media.

No legitimate media outlet reported that Barry Gibb was sick or hospitalised, never mind mysteriously dying suddenly. That’s because it never happened!

Fact #2 : Barry Gibb Is Still Alive + Well!

Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is very much alive, as of Sunday, 13 August 2023.

That was when his son, Stephen Gibb, posted a warning about fake Barry Gibb social media accounts on his father’s official Facebook page. If his father died, he would have mentioned it, wouldn’t he?

Happy Sunday everyone! This is Stephen Gibb (Barry’s son). I am posting on his behalf today as It seems there are several profiles pretending to be Dad on Facebook and other social media platforms. Please report and block these scam artists to the platform. This is the only official account for Barry Gibb on Facebook. I hope this bring some clarity to things. All the best!- Stephen

Barry Gibb himself posted a photo of himself at his 2017 concert on June 24, 2023, after thanking the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for selecting to honour him for lifetime artistic achievements this coming Sunday, December 3, 2023.

I am beyond honored to share I am going to be recognized as part of the 46th class of Honorees at the Kennedy Center. #KCHonors

Meet all the Honorees being celebrated in December, and stay tuned for the broadcast on @CBS ➡ tkc.co/Honors The Kennedy Center CBS

Fact #3 : The Photos Were Edited

I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of three examples used in many of these videos.

This photo that purportedly shows Barry Gibb’s funeral procession, was edited from a real photo of the funeral procession for Jade Goody – an English television personality who died of cancer on 22 March 2009.

The photo was taken by Chris Rayburn for the Associated Press on Saturday, 4 April 2009, as her funeral procession passed through Loughton, on the way to St. John the Baptist Church in Buckhurst Hill, England.

If you look carefully at the original photo on the right, you can see pink balloons spelling out “Jade From Bermondsey“. Jade Goody was born on 5 June 1981 in Bermondsey, London.

The fake news creator cropped that out, and added a super-large photo of Barry Gibb to the top of the hearse, to trick you.

The photo which is being used to show Barry Gibb’s funeral is actually a screenshot from the Women and Death episode from the TV drama, Desperate Housewives, which aired on Sunday, March 18, 2012.

The “photo” shows Susan Mayer (played by Teri Hatcher) crying over the coffin of Mike Delfino (played by James Denton).

It certainly does NOT show Teri Hatcher crying over Barry Gibb’s funeral, that’s for sure!

This photo does not show the Barry Gibb’s coffin being carried during his funeral. It was actually edited from a photo of the John Gotti funeral, taken outside the Papavero Funeral Home by Chet Gordon of TopFoto.

Mob boss John Gotti was laid to rest on June 15, 2002, after dying of cancer in a federal prison hospital in Missouri. Obviously, that was not Barry Gibbs’s funeral because he was very much still alive in 2002!

The fake news creator just added a large photo of Barry Gibb to trick you into thinking that it was his funeral.

Fact #4 : Barry Gibb Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Barry Gibb death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fake fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:

News of singer Barry Gibb’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the August 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, Bee Gees singer is alive and well.

Rumors of the singer’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Barry Gibb’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the British singer’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (August 19, 2023), our beloved singer Barry Gibb passed away. Barry Gibb was born on September 1, 1946 in Douglas. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 76-year-old singer, musician and producer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major British network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a singer of Barry Gibb’s stature would be major news across networks.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Barry Gibb Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Simon Cowell’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps of celebrities MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Oprah Winfrey, Simon Cowell, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Toby Keith, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Dolly Parton, Lucy Liu, and Melanie Laurent.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Is This The New US Ambassador To Jamaica + His Wife?!

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A photo allegedly showing the new US ambassador to Jamaica and his wife at a party has gone viral on social media! Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-07-31 : Added fact check video, and photo of Joyce Perry
Originally posted @ 2023-07-29

Claim : This Is New US Ambassador To Jamaica + His Wife!

This photo that allegedly shows the new US ambassador to Jamaica and his wife at a party has gone viral on social media, with people claiming that Jamaica has refused to accredit them as a couple because they are gay!

George Njoroge : The new US Ambassador to Jamaica and his ‘wife’. Jamaica is refusing to accredit them as a couple as they don’t recognise gay marriages.

The US in turn is refusing to renew the diplomatic status of Jamaican Ambassador to US and Consulate General in Miami… A diplomatic row is brewing 😅

JustSociety : This is the new US ambassador to Jamaica and his wife. Jamaica is in a rage over this but the US says they will cut off all aid to Jamaica if they do not let him and his wife go there to do their job. 🤷

That Lunda Guy : The New US ambassador to Jamaica with his wife, Jamaica refusing to accredit them as Jamaica doesn’t recognize gay marriages. The Us is planning to close down Jamaican consulate in Miami.

Truth : This Is Not The US Ambassador To Jamaica + His Wife!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS designed to disparage the LGBT community, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Jamaica Refused To Accredit Spouse Of US Diplomat

First, let me start by pointing out that this fake photo appears to be circulating over claims that the Jamaican government is refusing to accredit the spouse of an incoming US diplomat, because same-sex marriage is not recognised in Jamaica.

The Jamaican media also claimed that the US State Department has retaliated by refusing to extend the stay of some Jamaican diplomats.

Jamaican authorities, including Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamina Johnson Smith, allegedly argued that accrediting the gay spouse of that US diplomat would be in breach of the Jamaican constitution.

However, the Jamaican ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, has downplayed those reports, saying that US denials to the extension for serving diplomats are nothing new, and not related to the current diplomatic spat.

Over the past two years, we have requested a few extensions, and some were denied. The fact is that the USA gave two years’ notice of this policy change, and many persons who were or will be affected have been here for well over five years.

Such long-term stays in the US were never the intent of these work visas when they were issued, so this policy is an effort by the USA to return to the diplomatic accreditations’ original intent. As a government, we agree and respect this policy position.

Marks also explained that the US requested to extend diplomatic privileges and immunity to the same-sex spouse on June 20, 2023. Jamaica declined the request on July 5, and contrary to claims, the United States did not repeat their request:

Based on the foregoing, and the timeliness of the response, it is clear that the request by the United States was not ignored and contrary to reports, no ‘second demand’ was made.

Fact #2 : That Was Photo Of Conchita Wurst + Andre Karsai

The viral photo is actually of famous Austrian singer and drag queen, Conchita Wurst, and her business manager and the executive director of her company, Andre Karsai.

Conchita is actually the drag queen persona of Thomas Neuwirth, with a fictional backstory – Conchita was born in the mountains of Colombia, and married to French burlesque dancer Jacques Patriaque (Neuwirth’s actual friend)

He says this Conchita Wurst persona is similar to Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce alter-ego, and uses it as a way to protect his private life.

Neuwirth is gay but not a trans woman. He uses the he/him pronouns when referring to himself, but uses she/her to describe his Conchita Wurst character.

Conchita Wurst is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. She also had a cameo in the 2020 movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Here is an interesting fact about the character’s name. Conchita is a Spanish slang word for vagina, while Wurst is a German slang word for penis. So Conchita Wurst literally means vagina penis!

In 2019, Neuwirth introduced a new mononymous persona called WURST, which would allow for a “more masculine expression”.

Fact #3 : That Photo Was Taken At 2019 Vienna Opera Ball

The viral photo was taken at the Vienna Opera Ball that took place 28 February, 2019, by Jeff Mangione of Kurier magazine. Here is Conchita Wurst with the Austrian Minister of Justice, Dr. Josef Moser.

And this was her Instagram post at Wiener Opernball 2019 :

Fact #4 : No Evidence US Is Closing Jamaica Consulate In Miami

Embassies and consulates are legally considered to be the territory of the country they represent. Therefore, the Jamaica consulate in Miami is legally Jamaican territory.

While the US can order the closure of embassies and consulates, and expel the foreign diplomatic staff, this only happens when there is a serious deterioration of relations.

There is no evidence that the US is planning to order the closure of the Jamaican consulate in Miami.

Fact #5 : US Ambassador To Jamaica Is N. Nick Perry

The US Ambassador to Jamaica is Noah Nickolas Perry, who assumed his office on May 13, 2022, after being confirmed in the US Senate on March 10, 2022.

To be clear – he remains the US Ambassador to Jamaica. Furthermore, he is not in a same-sex marriage – his wife is Joyce Perry, who bore him two children.

Vice President Kamala Harris administers the oat of office for US Ambassador to Jamaica N. Nick Perry, with his wife, Joyce Perry, holding the family bible, May 9, 2022

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Who Captured This Amazing Rainbow Photo At 30,000 Feet?!

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Was this viral photo of an amazing full circle rainbow captured by a pilot flying at 30,000 feet?!

Take a look at the photo, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : This Rare Rainbow Was Captured By Pilot At 30,000 Feet!

People are sharing what they claim is a rare rainbow captured by Lloyd J Ferraro, a pilot flying over the Pacific Ocean at at an altitude of 30,000 feet.

Rainbow at 30,000 Feet: Pilot’s Photo Captures Rare and Breathtaking Sight

A rare sight was captured from the cockpit of a commercial airplane as pilot Lloyd J Ferraro took a stunning photograph of a complete rainbow from an altitude of 30,000 feet. The breathtaking image shows the colors of the rainbow in their full spectrum, arching gracefully across the sky.

Rainbows have long been a source of fascination for people around the world, with their vivid colors and seemingly magical appearance. While rainbows can be seen from the ground after a storm, it is much rarer to witness a complete rainbow from the vantage point of an airplane.

According to Ferraro, he was flying over the Pacific Ocean when he spotted the rainbow and decided to capture the moment on camera. The resulting photograph has since gone viral, captivating people around the world with its beauty and rarity.

The image not only showcases the beauty of nature but also highlights the incredible capabilities of modern technology. Ferraro was able to capture the stunning photograph using a smartphone camera, demonstrating how accessible and advanced our technology has become.

This incredible photo serves as a reminder of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us in our everyday lives. It is a testament to the power of nature and the marvels of modern technology, and it has inspired people around the world to appreciate the small moments of beauty that exist in the world around us.

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Truth : Rare Rainbow Was Not Captured By Pilot At 30,000 Feet!

This is yet another example of FAKE PHOTOS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Photo Was Not Taken By Lloyd J Ferraro

Lead Stories spoke to the pilot, Lloyd J Ferraro, on March 1, 2023. He has seen circular rainbows while flying, but he did not take that viral photo.

Ferraro shared that both he and his colleague copied and shared the rainbow image on social media, but he did not take the photo himself.

Fact #2 : Circular Rainbows Are Not Particularly Rare

Lloyd J Ferraro said that full-circle rainbows are not as rare as people think, and people do not need to be in an airplane to see one – a full circle rainbow can be observed from any high vantage point, like a mountain top.

In fact, NASA featured this full circle rainbow photo as its Astronomy Picture of the Day on December 27, 2022. That amazing photo of a full circle rainbow was taken using a drone by Swiss photographer Lukas Moesch over the Lofoten islands of Norway.

NASA also explained why full circle rainbows are more commonly seen from the air, instead of the ground.

Have you ever seen an entire rainbow? From the ground, typically, only the top portion of a rainbow is visible because directions toward the ground have fewer raindrops. From the air, though, the entire 360-degree circle of a rainbow is more commonly visible.

Pictured here, a full-circle rainbow was captured over the Lofoten Islands of Norway in September by a drone passing through a rain shower.

An observer-dependent phenomenon primarily caused by the internal reflection of sunlight by raindrops, the rainbow has a full diameter of 84 degrees. The Sun is in the exact opposite direction from the rainbow’s center. As a bonus, a second rainbow that was more faint and color-reversed was visible outside the first.

Fact #3 : Rainbow Photo Originated In Xiaohongshu

Lloyd J Ferraro could not have been the creator of the photo, because the viral photo of the rare circular rainbow circulated much earlier.

It appeared to have been posted in the Facebook group, Beautiful Nature, as part of a 5-photo collection of rainbows on February 6, 2023. After that, it went viral with many people sharing it on Facebook and Twitter.

But a closer examination of these photos will show a digital watermark at their lower right corners. These photos were created by someone with the user ID of 5463530014 on the Chinese social shopping platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

Fact #4 : Professor Labelled Rainbow Photo As Fake

Lead Stories asked Roland Stull, a professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of British Columbia to analyse the photo. He labelled it as a fake rainbow photo, and explained why:

It is fake. Rainbows form a circle centered around the shadow of the photographer or the camera; namely, looking away from the sun.

In the photo you attached, based on the sides of the clouds that are illuminated by the sun, the rainbow incorrectly appears to be in the direction of the sun, not opposite to the sun. Also, the rainbow circle itself appears to be incorrectly touching the location in the sky where the sun is (even though it is hidden behind a cloud), instead of the circle being centered on a shadow opposite to the sun (i.e., centered around the “anti-solar” point).

Fact #5 : Rainbow Photo Most Likely Generated By AI

It is not possible to know if the fake rainbow photo was digitally drawn by an artist, or created by AI image generators.

However, due to the numerous examples of similar rainbow photos with the same tone and colour palette, they were all likely generated by text-to-image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E or Stable Diffusion.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Prince William Banned Photos With Kate Middleton?!

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Did Prince William just ban photos with his wife, Kate Middleton?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Prince William Banned Photos With Kate Middleton!

People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that Prince William has been forbidden from being photographed with his wife, Kate Middleton!

Here is the viral Music Mundial article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Prince William is reportedly forbidden to be photographed with his wife Kate Middleton

Royalty could be part of the celebrities, as they are such important public figures that everyone wants to know about them. The people in charge of collecting all the information spend day, evening and night trying to capture the best photographs. Now, it has come to light that Prince William has banned photographs from being taken next to his wife.

The surprising reason has to do with the great influence that Kate Middleton has gained and that has caught the attention of numerous media, who always want a picture with her best pose, but often end up cropping her husband, and that makes him feel bad and uncomfortable.

“The only thing I can say is that it bothers William a little when photos of his wife appear and he comes out cropped in the images. When they work together, he would like them to be photographed together, as a team, noted royal expert Hannah Fernando.”

“Kate Middleton nor does she have any intention of upstaging him. But she is standing out because she is really brilliant,” the “Woman and Home” editor added.

Apparently the reasons why the prince does not want to be seen with his wife, could be very much ego-driven, since, let’s remember, Kate Middleton is one of the most loved women in the UK, having announced popularity numbers higher than the rest of the members.

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Truth : Prince William Did Not Ban Photos With Kate Middleton!

This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created by Music Mundial to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Prince William Annoyed At Being Cropped Out

The quotation that Prince William was “a little annoyed” is based on an opinion by royal expert Roya Nikkhah.

On June 6, 2023, Roya told told True Royalty TV that the Prince of Wales is “slightly” bothered that he was being “cropped out of photos” by the press.

Fact #2 : Prince William Did Not Ban Photos With His Wife

Music Mundial falsely claimed that Prince William has banned photographs of him being taken next to his wife. There was no such ban. And no legitimate media has reported on this. Only Music Mundial is making this baseless claim.

It would be stupid for Prince William to ban photos of himself with Kate Middleton, because that is precisely what the press would prefer. It would simply save them the job of cropping him out of the photos!

Fact #3 : Prince William Is Not Jealous Of Kate Middleton

Music Mundial suggested that Prince William does not want to be seen with Kate Middleton because he was “very much ego-driven”. As Roya Nikkhah pointed out, that’s completely untrue:

William is delighted by the fact that people warm to Catherine.

Recommended : Did Prince William Finally Dump Rose Hanbury?!

Fact #4 : Prince William Likes To Be Photographed With Kate Middleton

Music Mundial claimed that Prince William has banned being photographed next to his wife, Kate Middleton. The truth is he likes to be photographed with his wife. As Kate Mansey, assistant editor of The Mail pointed out:

I don’t think it’s jealousy of Kate. It’s more that Kate and William have worked hard to create an image of themselves together as a united front. So, when they’re on jobs together, they’d like to be pictured together—as a team.

Royal expert, Hannah Fernando, also agreed:

When they work together, he would like them to be photographed together, as a team, noted royal expert Hannah Fernando.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Music Mundial Fake News

This appears to be nothing more than yet another example of celebrity fake news posted by Music Mundial. Here are examples of Music Mundial fake news that I looked into recently:

Everything Music Mundial posts should be considered as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Brooklyn Couple Steal Palestinian Couple’s Home?!

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Did a couple from Brooklyn steal a home that was once owned by an elderly Palestinian couple?!

Take a look at the photo that Michael Moore made viral, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : Brooklyn Couple Stole Palestinian Couple’s Home!

People keep sharing this photo as evidence that Americans / Israelis are stealing Palestinian homes, every time there is a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

It notably went viral in May 2021, after Michael Moore posted it on his Facebook wall, and keeps going viral every few months since then.

If someone took/stole your home right now, and moved you out because a theocracy ordered it — or what if this same theocracy bulldozed your home and tossed you out into a field and told you and your children to GTF outta here — what would YOUR response be?

What would you have the moral right to do about it? And to be perfectly clear, I don’t care if it was a Christian Fascist German soldier in 1941 forcibly removing you from your home, or an American bank in 2008 forcibly removing you and kicking you to the curb while taking your home — it’s gut-check time, folks (and yes, I mean you too, fellow pacifists):

What would you have the moral and human right and DUTY to do about it, to respond to it, to stop it? And would the rest of the world just stand by and let you suffer as it so often does?

When do we all just put a stop to this, to grind the gears of the machine to a complete halt and replace the plutocracy (we’re not a democracy), the theocracy (you’re not a democracy), and any racial, religious or corporate supremacy with TRUE democracy, FULL human rights, and love?

Truth : Brooklyn Couple Did NOT Steal Palestinian Couple’s Home!

This is a rather iconic photo – a Palestinian couple looking at what used to be their ancestral home, now occupied by an Israeli couple. We decided to investigate the photo, and here was what we found…

Fact #1 : The Photo Was Taken In Israel

This photo is genuine, and was taken in the village of Ijzim, about 30 minutes south of Haifa in Israel.

Just to be clear, Ijzim is not in the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip – territory under partial or full Palestinian control.

Fact #2 : The Photo Was Taken In 2020

Despite what people may say, this photo was not taken recently. It was taken and published in May 2020. The last time the elderly Palestinian couple was in Ijzim was 72 years ago.

Fact #3 : Ijzim Was Depopulated In 1948

Israel captured Ijzim during the 1948 War, and the majority of the villagers fled or were expelled during the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe). The Israelis quickly demolished the Arab houses to make way for permanent Jewish settlements.

Photo credit : Fred Csasznik – Front cover of The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem by Benny Morris, Cambridge University Press 1989.

Fact #4 : Palestinians No Longer Own These Lands

While the Nakba can be argued as morally wrong, this is not an uncommon practice whenever a country annexes or conquers a region.

For example, the Soviet Union expelled Germans from East Prussia after World War 2, and gave the southern part to Poland, while Lithuania was given the northern part.

Today, East Prussia is part of Poland and Lithuania – both members of the European Union and NATO. Germans who were expelled between 1945 and 1949 can visit their ancestral homes, but they cannot claim ownership over those lands.

More directly – there is no evidence the elderly Palestinian couple have any paper to prove their prior ownership of the land on which their home used to be.

Fact #5 : The House Was Not Their Home

The house in the photo is not the same house that the elderly Palestinian couple used to live in. That house, which belonged to the Palestinian man’s father, was demolished during the Nakba, and a new home was built on the land.

So it is factually wrong to say that the elderly Palestinian couple was looking at “the house they once lived in“. The house they were looking at is completely different from the house they once lived in.

That does not mean that the Palestinian couple has no right to feel hurt over their loss. It was, after all, where they once lived. But whether they are entitled to that land that they abandoned more than 70 years ago is another question altogether.

Fact #6 : It Was Part Of An Al-Jazeera Project

For those who doubt the authenticity of the photo, I can confirm that it is genuine and was taken as part of an al-Jazeera project.

In May 2020, Najwan Simri of Al Jazeera took an elderly Palestinian couple to visit their original homes and to meet their current Israeli residents. Here is the Al Jazeera video clip, as well as an English translation.

Some towns and cities inside the Green Line will become the hope of those in the diaspora. But they will also become a station of refuge for others.

Here lives a family uprooted from a nearby village. We had an appointment with Hajjeh Im Samir to accompany her there. Her [ailing] husband insisted on coming with us because he said the air of Ijzim is the best cure.

Despite its beauty, the road there seems desolate as if it gets you to the place but doesn’t take you there. Eagerly, Im Samir organizes our tour for us and tells us the names of the [Palestinian] owners of the houses.

Our first stop is God’s house. Its stones have been preserved as they were. Alone, the colors of its locked doors change each time the dryness of the seasons intensifies.

Here, Abu Samir does not stay in the car because this stop [station] is the location for which he has most longed in order to banish the other stations of his life. “This was our house, my father’s house. After the ‘48 wars, the Jews occupied it.”

After a few minutes, the residents of the house come out to [the gate]. They ask us what we want. We say, this is the owner of the house; how do you feel living in a house built on the wreckage of his house? [The answer] Frankly, I don’t feel anything. I am very happy. Living here is very enjoyable.

How strange is the distance between the owner of the house and he who is occupying it. How strange is the irony between he who has to stand inside the gate and he who must stand outside the gate. How strong Abu Samir is! For other uprooted people have refused to accompany us [on our tour]. One of them told us that he cannot bear to glimpse through the window of his father’s house a foreigner living there.

And that [glimpse] could possibly be of a strange symbol, like [what is glimpsed through the window] of a stolen [Palestinian] school converted into a temple with an emblem [the flag of Israel] that is not as old as the memory of the stones of the school.

And so, an extreme picture! It is said that the passage of time helps in forgetting, but, in the Palestinian case, it seems that the equation of time is different and that the years are merely a number. Rather, the longer the banishment of the Palestinians is, the more they remember.

– This is Najwan Simri, reporting from the depopulated village of Ijzim for Al Jazeera.

Fact #7 : No Evidence The Couple Was From Brooklyn

The most authoritative source for this photo was Al Jazeera, and even they did not identify the Israeli couple, much less confirmed that they were from Brooklyn, New York City.

Despite my extensive searching, I could find no source to back up this claim. None of the earlier posts using this picture – in May to June 2020 – even mentioned that the Israeli couple were from Brooklyn.

Therefore, it is highly likely that their Brooklyn origin is completely bogus, and was added much later.

Many detractors have pointed out that this is of no importance. If that is true, then I ask – why lie about this? Why claim, without evidence, that the couple was from Brooklyn?

IMHO, it must have been important for the people who added this “Brooklyn” connection to tie this “occupation” of Palestinian land to the Americans. Hence, the necessity to claim that the Jewish couple was from the United States.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Do Photos Prove Michelle Obama Is Transgender?!

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Do viral photos circulating on social media prove that Michelle Obama is really a transgender woman who was born a man?!

Take a look at those viral photos, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Photos Prove Michelle Obama Is Transgender Woman!

People are sharing photos that claim to prove that Michelle Obama is really a transgender woman who was born a man, with comments like:

WeLoveTrump : Joan Rivers “Died Suddenly” After Making This Comment About Michelle Obama…

Michelle Obama is a man that used to be named Michael. Obama is gay #TrumpIsBetter

She’s a transgender woman, born male and still male..he probably has a bigger man piece than you & proud of it. God’s children tell the truth, they don’t conceal truth, only Lucifer’s ppl do that..

Stew Peters : I am open to the idea that Michelle Robinson was born a female, though it seems unlikely. One way or another, she’s got something swinging around down there.

Truth : Photos Do NOT Prove Michelle Obama Is Transgender Woman!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to disparage Michelle Obama by misogynists and Republicans of the MAGA persuasion, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Michelle Obama Gave Birth To Two Girls

The claims that Michelle Obama is a transgender woman who was born a man is not only false, it’s absurdly ridiculous, because she gave birth to two girls – Malia Obama and Sasha Obama.

In November 2018, Michelle Obama even opened up about her experience with infertility, revealing that she suffered a miscarriage early in their marriage. Eventually she and former President Barack Obama resorted to in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to conceive Malia and Sasha.

For those who are wondering – transgender women cannot give birth, or suffer miscarriages, as they were born men, and lack both ovaries and uterus.

And no, Malia and Sasha Obama were not adopted

Malia Obama with her new baby sister, Sasha (2001)

Fact #2 : Michelle Obama Was Female All Her Life

Michelle Obama sometimes shares photos of her childhood on her Instagram account. They are all proof that she grew up as a girl, never as a boy.

On the other hand, all these claims that she was born a boy has never been backed by any evidence.

Fact #3 : Michelle Obama Photos Were Edited

I investigated three of the most common photos that people were sharing as “evidence” that Michelle Obama is a transgender woman, and by extension, former President Barack Obama is a gay man.

This first photo, which claims to show Michelle Obama scratching her itchy crotch / penis, was photoshopped using a photo taken by AFP photographer, Jewel Samad.

The original photo is available on Getty Images as photo number 167345551, with the description:

US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on April 24, 2013 to leave for Dallas, Texas. Obama was heading to Dallas, Texas to attend a Democratic National Committee event later in the day. He will also attend a memorial service in Waco on Thursday for the victims of the West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad

The original photo shows Michelle Obama looking down with her right hand covering her crotch, likely fighting against the wind from the spinning helicopter blades.

It was edited to change the angle of her hand, which is why her dress is suddenly much wider. The fake news creator then added the “crotch”.

This viral (but fake) photo was edited from an original photo posted by former President Barack Obama on January 17, 2019, to celebrate Michelle Obama’s birthday.

The fake news creator changed her hairstyle, giving her a crewcut, and made her face wider to make it look masculine.

This viral photo of Michelle Obama with a visible penis bulge was a screenshot from a video of the Democratic National Convention, when she gave a speech on August 25, 2008.

Tens of millions of people watched her speech, and dozens of photographers took photos of Michelle Obama from the moment she walked onto the stage of the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado that day.

If Michelle Obama really sported a penis bulge that day, it would have been captured in the videos and photos taken that day.

However, none of the real photos taken by photographers that day showed a penis bulge. The viral photo was evidently edited to add a penis bulge.

I should also point out, again, that Michelle Obama could not have given birth to her two daughters (who accompanied her that day) if she was a transgender woman.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Politicians

This is yet another example of fake news about politicians and their families, just like these examples:

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Is IKEA Malaysia Closing Down All Stores For Good?!

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Is IKEA Malaysia closing down all of its stores for good by the end of May 2023?!

Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : IKEA Malaysia Is Closing Down All Stores For Good!

People are sharing an article screenshot which claims that IKEA Malaysia is closing down all of its stores for good by the end of May 2023! Here are the titles, and my English translation:

IKEA seluruh Malaysia mula ditutup pada akhir bulan Mei 2023. Goodbye

IKEA [stores] across Malaysia will begin to close at the end of May 2023. Goodbye

IKEA Malaysia Akan Ditutup Seluruh Negara Pada Akhir Bulan Mei 2023

IKEA Malaysia Will Be Closed Nationwide At The End Of May 2023

Recommended : You Can Now Edit Your WhatsApp Messages!

Truth : IKEA Malaysia Is Not Closing Down Its Stores For Good!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : IKEA Malaysia Closing Stores For 1 Day

First, let me just confirm that IKEA Malaysia is not closing down any of its stores for good.

On May 17, IKEA Malaysia announced that it is closing down all its physical stores, as well as its online check out page, on Tuesday, 30 May 2023, for a system upgrade!

Its online store will still work on 30 May 2023, but you won’t be able to check out / purchase anything on that day.

We are upgrading our systems to serve you better

Both our stores and online check out page will be closed on 30 May 2023, Tuesday.

During the upgrade, you can continue to browse home furnishing inspiration on IKEA.my but will not be able to make payments.

Stay updated with the latest news on our Facebook page: IKEA Malaysia or you can email to customerservice.ikeamy@ikano.asia for further assistance.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you soon.

The official IKEA Malaysia website also has this banner at the top of the page.

IKEA stores and online check out page will be closed on 30 May 2023 for systems upgrade to serve you better.

Both its physical and online stores will reopen on Wednesday, 31 May 2023.

Fact #2 : The Headlines Were Misleading

For some reason, the website that created that article used misleading headlines that suggested that IKEA Malaysia was closing its stores.

The viral photo, in particular, used a misleading headline – IKEA across Malaysia will start closing at the end of May 2023. Why use the phrase “start closing” when IKEA Malaysia was only shutting down for one day?

Fact #3 : The Viral Photo Was Edited

The viral photo was also edited by someone who added the word GOODBYE, to make people believe that IKEA was really closing its stores for good.

Who did that, or why that person did that, is unknown. What is certain is that it helped to make the screenshot go viral.

Recommended : Watch Out For MPH Free Books Scam!

Fact #4 : This Is Just WhatsApp Fake News!

This is just another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Morgan Freeman Just Die Suddenly From Cancer?!

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Did legendary actor Morgan Freeman just die suddenly in the hospital from cancer?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Morgan Freeman Just Died Suddenly From Cancer!

People are sharing YouTube and Facebook videos claiming that legendary singer Dolly Parton just died suddenly of a stroke, with titles like :

Funeral in Hollywood / Morgan Freeman Officially Dies at 85, Goodbye Legend

The Funeral Is In 3 Days / Actor Morgan Freeman

Funeral at the church, This will be the last time fans will see Morgan Freeman, Rest In Peace!

5 Minutes Ago / Died in the Hospital / Goodbye Morgan Freeman

SUDDEN DEATH of terminal cancer! Morgan Freeman has left fans with great pain.

5 mins ago / R.I.P. Legendary actor Morgan Freeman, Goodby Morgan Freeman

We Have Extreme Sad News For 85-year old Morgan Freeman As He Is Confirmed To Be… RIP

Heartbreaking Final Moments of Actor Morgan Freeman – Cause of Death is Hidden!

Died of natural cases, Hollywood pays tribute to actor Morgan Freeman

Truth : Morgan Freeman Did NOT Die Suddenly From Cancer!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page / video views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube and Facebook videos have been circulating for months now, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Morgan Freeman’s death.

Morgan Freeman is such a Hollywood legend, his death would have been covered globally by the media and celebrity blogs.

Yet, no legitimate media outlet, nor celebrity blog, has reported that Morgan Freeman died recently from any cause. Why should you believe no-name websites, or random YouTube / Facebook videos?

Fact #2 : Morgan Freeman Is Still Alive + Well!

Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is still very much alive and well, as of Saturday, May 20, 2023, when he last posted on Instagram and Twitter about Muppets Mayhem streaming on Disney+!

On May 10, he posted the video trailer for Through the Wormhole, on its 10th anniversary.

All those posts came many days to weeks after those YouTube and Facebook videos claimed that he died suddenly from cancer, or some other cause of death.

Fact #3 : The Videos Provided No Evidence For His Death

To generate ad money, the videos must engage you long enough, so they come up with some story that Morgan Freeman was suffering from a “dangerous disease” or a “stroke”, and they drag out the video with details about Morgan Freeman’s life.

In any case, after watching the videos, you will realise that none of them offered any evidence that Morgan Freeman died from cancer or any disease.

That may anger you, but it doesn’t matter. They got you to watch the video, generating income for them. And they know that most people will not realise that, and forward the fake news to their family and friends!

Fact #4 : They Edited Real Photos

To make their videos more convincing, these fake video creators add faces of celebrities like Chris Tucker and Will Smith to the fake Morgan Freeman funeral photos.

Take for example, this photo of Chris Tucker and Will Smith apparently carrying Morgan Freeman’s coffin. Not only do their heads look ridiculously large, their faces look much sharper and are more vibrant in colour than the rest of the photo.

That’s because the fake news creator use the funeral photo of Fairgrounds Holdings CEO Michael Montshiwa, who was murdered in Botswana in 2016. The fake news creator had to make the heads of Chris Tucker and Will Smith larger to cover up the faces of the real men in the real photo.

The fake news creator also added a framed photo of Morgan Freeman. In the real photo, you can see that the coffin does not have a framed photo hanging from the front.

I should give special mention to this “terrifically photoshopped” photo, which shows Morgan Freeman smiling in his casket!

The fake news creator overlaid a photo of Morgan Freeman’s over the photo of the high chief of Ngardmau Palau, Beouch Sakaziro. The photo was taken by his children, and posted on Facebook and Wikipedia in 2011.

Fact #5 : Morgan Freeman Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Morgan Freeman death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.

News of actor Morgan Freeman’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the May 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Invictus, Bruce Almighty or Driving Miss Daisy is alive and well.

Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Monday after a ‘R.I.P. Morgan Freeman’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (May 22, 2023), our beloved actor Morgan Freeman passed away. Morgan Freeman was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 85-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Morgan Freeman’s stature would be major news across networks.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Morgan Freeman Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Morgan Freeman’s unnamed reps confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other celebrities whose reps MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Celine Dion, Simon Cowell, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Justin Bieber, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks, Lucy Liu, Clint Eastwood, Dolly Parton, and Melanie Laurent.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Pentagon Just Get Hit By A Large Explosion?!

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Was the Pentagon just hit by a large explosion?! Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Pentagon Was Just Hit By A Large Explosion!

A photo of an explosion at the Pentagon has gone viral on social media, with multiple “blue check” Twitter accounts, an Indian media outlet and Russian state media sharing it!

RT : Reports of an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington DC

Bloomberg Feed : Large Explosion near The Pentagon Complex in Washington D.C. – Initial Report

⚠️BREAKING – Initial Reports of a Large Explosion near The Pentagon Complex in Washington D.C.
A Fire is currently Burning at the Location of the Blast with Fire and Rescue Crews arriving On-Scene.

Initial Reports of a Large Explosion near The #Pentagon Complex in #Washington D.C.
A Fire is currently Burning at the Location of the Blast with Fire and Rescue Crews arriving On-Scene.

Truth : Pentagon Was Not Hit By A Large Explosion!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created using AI technology, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Was No Pentagon Explosion

First, let me just confirmed that there was no explosion at the Pentagon yesterday or today. The Pentagon did not come under attack, as many people have claimed.

For one thing – no legitimate media outlet has reported on such an explosion. No, propaganda outlets like Russia Today (RT) do not count.

This incident has shown just how unreliable RT really is – it was the only state media agency to post the fake photo. RT deleted the photo hours later, but did not appear to apologise for the “mistake”.

Furthermore, police and fire officials in Arlington, Virgina, have confirmed that the viral photo is fake, and that there was no incident at the Pentagon. No explosion. No fire. No smoke.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon.

There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

Fact #2 : That Is Not The Pentagon

Anyone who has seen the facade / side profile of the Pentagon will immediately realise that the photo does not show the famous building.

The fake building looks like like a university than the Pentagon, which has a flat, sloping roof without a triangular Gable roof.

The facade of the Pentagon is also almost flat and uniform, with uniform, same-sized windows throughout.

Fact #3 : The Photo Was AI Generated

The viral photo appears to be created using an AI image generator. If you look closely at the photo, you will see many discrepancies that suggest it was AI-generated:

The facade of the building is distorted, with some windows merging together.
The fence suddenly turns into crowd barriers, both of which have distortions with holes too.
The lamp post appears to be distorted and cut off from its base, literally floating sideways.

Not shown below, but the concrete walkway also gradually fades into grass, which is another sign it was AI-generated.

Fact #4 : Twitter Blue + Gold Accounts Helped Spread Fake Photo!

It is important to point out that while this viral photo tricked many people into thinking it was real, it was the new Twitter Blue and Twitter Gold accounts that helped it go viral.

The photo went viral because multiple Twitter Blue accounts shared the fake photo. Because many people still believe that blue check Twitter accounts are “verified” and therefore trustworthy, they shared it out too.

Elon Musk is responsible for this debacle, by allowing any Tom, Dick and Harry to purchase a blue check to masquerade as a “verified” Twitter account. That was how the fake Bloomberg Feed account was able to trick so many people to share this fake photo.

On top of that, Russian state media – RT (Russia Today) boosted the fake photo by reposting it on its Twitter Gold account, which is a paid and verified account. Even though RT finally deleted the tweet hours later, more than 38,000 people had already viewed the post, and many shared it because they believed RT verified the news.

Fact #5 : Indian News Channel Helped Spread Fake Photo

It also did not help that Republic TV – a right-wing, English language news channel in India, broadcasted a “Live & Breaking” news of the Pentagon explosion using nothing more than that fake photo!

To top it off, they even invited Professor Madhav Nalapat – “an international affairs expert” to opine on the fake explosion!

To be fair – Republic TV relied on RT to verify that news, with a chyron saying, “RT REPORTS EXPLOSION NEAR PENTAGON“. That ought to teach them for relying on Russian state media for facts…

Republic TV claims the Pentagon was just hit by a massive explosion! 😲🤔

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/GndMXdMr4I #TechARP #Pentagon #Explosion #Military #USDOD #UnitedStates #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #AIGenerated #AI #ArtificialIntelligence pic.twitter.com/XaqglBsV3T

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) May 24, 2023

Fact #6 : This Is Just AI-Generated Fake News!

This is yet another example of fake photos / videos / news created by artificial intelligence. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Tom Hanks Just Die Suddenly?!

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Did Hollywood legend Tom Hanks just die suddenly from an unspecified cause of death?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Tom Hanks Just Died Suddenly!

People are sharing YouTube, Facebook and TikTok videos claiming that Hollywood legend Tom Hanks just died suddenly of an unspecified cause of death, with titles like :

10 minutes ago : Tom Hanks passed away | R.I.P. Tom Hanks

Stop breathing 5 minutes ago / RIP Legendary Hollywood actor Tom Hanks / Goodbye Tom Hanks #tomhanks

10 Minutes Ago Sad News Tom Hands Is Pass Away Expected Soon Family Prepared To Say Goodbye

R.I.P. Tom Hanks touches our hearts with this tearful goodbye

R.I.P. It’s With Our Deepest Regret to Report About Tom Hanks Mourns Beloved

R.I.P. Tom Hanks : Tom Hanks dead 2023

Truth : Tom Hanks Did Not Die Suddenly

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Tom Hanks Is Still Alive + Well!

Tom Hanks is still very much alive and well, as of May 16, 2023, when his interview on The Adam Buxton podcast was released. In that interview, he said that AI may allow him to continue appearing in movies even after he dies.

I can tell you that there is discussions going on in all of the guilds, all of the agencies, and all of the legal firms in order to come up with the legal ramifications of my face and my voice and everybody else’s being our intellectual property.

What is a bona fide possibility right now is, if I wanted to, I could get together and pitch a series of seven movies that would star me in them in which I would be 32 years old from now until kingdom come.

Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on.

Of course, that podcast was recorded earlier – on April 18. But on the same day the podcast was released, Tom Hanks himself posted about his wife’s latest record with Emily Shackleton – I Loved You First.

Tom Hanks is also on a book tour, to promote his novel – The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece. On May 16, he was in Tulsa for a book signing and a Q&A session with his fans.

So yeah, Tom Hanks is very much alive, well, and healthy!

Fact #2 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube / TikTok / Facebook videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported his death.

When Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, got infected with COVID-19, the worldwide media breathlessly reported on their condition – they were both fine.

No legitimate media outlet has reported that he died recently from any cause. Why should you believe random YouTube / TikTok / Facebook videos?

Fact #3 : The Photos Were Edited

I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of three examples used in many of these videos.

This photo was edited from a Getty Images stock photo of a funeral, to add a crying lady and other people, as well as a photo of Tom Hanks in a frame.

This photo of his funeral is also fake. This is actually a photo of Serbian folk singer, Šaban Šaulić, who died on February 17, 2019. His funeral was held on February 22, 2019.

The fake news creator flipped the photo, and superimposed a large and overly bright head of Sylvester Stallone together with a framed photo of Tom Hanks magically floating in front of him!

This funeral photo is really a stock photograph of a funeral that is available on the Unsplash website.

Fact #4 : This Video Is From Veep

This video that some people are sharing out is actually a video clip from the final scene of the comedy television series, Veep.

It shows Tom Hanks dying at the age of 88, after winning four Oscar awards and a statuette for Philadelphia 2.

Just in case you are wondering, Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956) and will only turn 88 in the year 2044. And the movie Philadelphia 2 does not exist.

Fact #5 : Tom Hanks Death Hoax Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Tom Hanks death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fake fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:

Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Tom Hanks’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (May 15, 2023), our beloved actor Tom Hanks passed away. Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956 in Concord. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 66-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

On Tuesday (May 16) the actor’s reps officially confirmed that Tom Hanks is not dead. “He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet,” they said.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Tom Hanks Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Tom Hanks’ unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps whose celebrities MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Celine Dion, Simon Cowell, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Justin Bieber, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Dolly Parton, Lucy Liu, Clint Eastwood, and Melanie Laurent.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Samsung Galaxy A54 : 50 MP Camera Review!

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Take a look at the 50MP camera of the new Samsung Galaxy A54, and find out just how well it performs!

Samsung Galaxy A54 : 50 MP Main Camera

The Samsung Galaxy A54 is the marquee mid-range smartphone for 2023, and it comes with a triple camera system at the back that consists of:

a 50 MP main camera, with f/1.8 aperture,
a 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera, with f/2.2 aperture, and
a 5 MP macro camera, with f/2.4 aperture

The 50 MP camera is a “downgrade” in megapixels from the Galaxy A53’s 64 MP camera, but image quality is better because it is built around the Sony IMX766 image sensor used in phones like the realme 9 Pro+ and Xiaomi 12.

The Sony IMX766 is a larger 1/1.56″ sensor, which offers a 25% larger pixel size of 1.0 µm (compared to 0.8 µm). The larger pixel size is important as it means each pixel can receive 25% more light, delivering better images, especially in low-light conditions.

In fact, that is why the Galaxy A54 defaults to the 12.5 MP resolution, combining four pixels into a much larger 2 µm “bucket” to collect more light. The 64 MP camera in last year’s Galaxy A53 also does the same thing, combining four pixels in one to deliver 16 MP photos.

This 50 MP camera supports PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), and its lens has a wide f/1.8 aperture for better light intake. If you like to record videos, you will be glad to know that it features VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation) and improved OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) offering a wider OIS angle.

In this review, we are going to take a look at the photography capability of Galaxy A54, and show you just how well its 50MP main camera performs!

Samsung Galaxy A54 : 50 MP Camera Review!

The Samsung Galaxy A54’s 50 MP camera takes 12.5 MP photos by default, with a resolution of 4080 x 3060 pixels. Each JPEG photo using the High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) format, each photo is about 2.5 MB to 5 MB in size.

Without HEIF, the file sizes are much larger, so please remember to turn on the HEIF file format to save space.

Open the Camera app
Go to Settings > Advanced picture options
Turn on High efficiency pictures.

As this photo sample shows, the 50 MP main camera of the Samsung Galaxy A54 offers a nice bokeh, thanks to its wide f/1.8 aperture.

However, that wide aperture presents a problem too – a narrow depth of field, as this sample photo of star anise shows.

If multiple objects are present at different distances from the camera, only some of them will remain in focus, while the others will be out-of-focus.

That makes for nice portraits, but if you do not tap on the area or subject you want to be in focus, the camera may auto-focus on the wrong area or subject, and you will end up with an out-of-focus shot.

As this shot of pineapples show, only a small area of the right edge of the pineapple on the left is in focus. That’s because I intentionally tapped on that part.

Otherwise, the camera would naturally focus on the nearest part of the pineapple (its centre, which is located to the far left of the photo) and this photo would look really out-of-focus.

In most cases, the colour reproduction is pretty accurate, even if it’s indoors.

But in some cases, you can end up with pretty dull-looking photos under artificial light.

You need to be careful with close-up shots though. This isn’t a macro camera, and so it has trouble focusing if the subject is too close.

The problem is – the Samsung camera app does not warn you if the 50 MP camera cannot focus properly on the subject. It may look like it is focused properly in the camera app, but when you open it up later, you will see that it’s completely out-of-focus.

I definitely recommend you tapping on the subject to “force” the camera app to visibly try to focus. If it fails, you know that you are much too close. It’s also a good habit to tap to focus anyway, as this 50 MP camera has a narrow depth-of-field.

There is no need to worry about the “loss” in resolution from 64 MP to 50 MP. In most cases, you probably won’t even realise that the camera defaults to just 12.5 MP!

Even at 12.5 MP, there is more than enough detail in the photos that the Galaxy A54’s 50MP camera delivers, even if you want to zoom in.

But that does not mean that its 50 MP sensor is pure marketing. You can use it to take 50 MP shots, but you will have to live with significantly larger file sizes.

The full 50 MP resolution isn’t needed for 90% of the photos that most people take, but it is useful for long-distance shots. The Samsung Galaxy A54 does not have a telephoto camera, so taking photos in 50 MP effectively gives you a 4X zoom capability.

For example, if you need to take a faraway shot of a bell tower, you can switch to 50 MP before taking the photo. Then you can zoom into the 50 MP photo you took and crop out a much closer looking shot of that bell tower without using software or digital zoom.

Samsung Galaxy A54 : 50 MP Camera Summary

I’m glad Samsung switched from the 64 MP camera to a 50 MP camera in the Galaxy A54. The “loss” in megapixels is more than made up by the larger and better Sony IMX766 image sensor, with 25% larger pixels.

This improved 50 MP main camera performed well in our tests, generally delivering good photos with accurate colours in most cases. It has a good level of detail, even at 12.5 MP.

The biggest problem I have with it is its minimum focus distance. The camera seems to work best with subjects that are at least 50 cm away, or so. If I get too close to the subject, the shot ends up out-of-focus, especially if I tried to let the camera auto-focus by itself.

This is not readily apparent in the camera app, so you need to tap to focus. That triggers the camera to seek a better focus. That’s when you can see whether it can really focus properly. Even then, I sometimes end up with out-of-focus shots, because I was simply too close to the subject.

For most people, this won’t a problem if you are taking the usual photos – people standing at a distance, landscapes and buildings at a distance, etc. Just keep this in mind if you are taking close shots of products or food, etc.

Samsung Galaxy A54 : Price + Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A54 smartphone is available in three main colours with a glossy finish :

Awesome Graphite
Awesome Violet
Awesome Lime

The Samsung Galaxy A54 comes with 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage, with the option to add a microSD card in the hybrid SIM tray. It is covered by a 2-year warranty, with the following launch prices:

8 GB + 256 GB : RM1,899 / US$449.99 / £499 / A$697 / S$648

Here are online purchase options (we may get commission from your purchase) :

MY : 4 colours | 4 colours | 4 colours | 4 colours
SG : 4 colours | 4 colours | 4 colours | 4 colours
US : Graphite | Violet | Lime
UK : Graphite | Violet | Lime | White
AU : Graphite | Violet

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Jho Low Paid $20 Million For Photo With The Obamas!

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Jho Low paid a cool $20 million for a single photo with the Obamas, but guess how much he paid to influence the Trump Administration?!

Jho Low Paid $20 Million For Photo With The Obamas!

On Tuesday, 18 April 2023, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel – a member of the Fugees, together with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, testified in his own defence against charges of criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance crimes.

Pras Michel stands accused of conspiring with fugitive Malaysian financier, Jho Low, to influence the Obama and Trump administrations. During his trial in Washington, D.C., Pras Michel revealed how Jho Low hired him to be a “celebrity surrogate” in order to finagle that photo with the Obamas.

Michel described Jho Low as a “wealthy man willing to do anything, spend any type of money” to get his photo with President Barack Obama, but that Low’s reputation made him “too hot” get an invited to fundraising events. He himself witnessed Low’s wild lifestyle, which was filled with celebrities, models, night clubs, and free-flowing cash.

My understanding is that the campaign thought he was too hot. They didn’t want the optics at that time. At that point, Jho Low was a party guy – Vegas, champagne, parties with Paris Hilton. The campaign just didn’t want that.

Michel told Low that he would try to help him get that photo with the Obamas, but for a price.

I basically asked for US$1 million to begin to think about how I would get this photo. I was going to try.

Jho Low would end up paying Pras Michel $20 million over nine months, before the fugitive tycoon finally got his wish – a photograph with President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama, at the 2012 White House Christmas party!

The photo with the Obamas may have cost Jho Low $20 million, but prosecutors claim that Pras Michel pocketed $18 million of the money, and funnelled $2 million into Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

Jho Low Paid $70 Million To Influence Trump Administration!

If you are shocked by how much Jho Low paid to get that single photo with Barack and Michelle Obama, you will be shocked by how much he paid to influence the Trump Administration!

Prosecutors alleged that Jho Low paid Michel, 50, another $70 million to lobby the Trump Administration to drop its civil and criminal investigation of Low in the 1MDB scandal, as well as have Miles Guo Wengui, a Chinese billionaire dissident, extradited to China!

Jho Low was indicted in 2021 together with Pras Michel by a federal grand jJury, but remains at large and is believed to be in China.

The indictment issued Thursday by a grand jury in Washington accuses Low and Michel of conspiring with Broidy, a woman named Nickie Lum Davis and others “to engage in undisclosed lobbying campaigns at the direction of Low and the Vice Minister of Public Security for the People’s Republic of China, respectively,” according to the Justice Department.

The goals of those campaigns were “both to have the 1MDB embezzlement investigation and forfeiture proceedings involving Low and others dropped and to have a Chinese dissident sent back to China.”

If convicted, Jho Low faces a maximum penalty of five to 10 years in prison, per count, while Pras Michel could face a range of maximum penalties from five to 20 years in prison, per count.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Sylvester Stallone Just Die Suddenly In Hospital?!

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Did Sylvester Stallone just die suddenly in the hospital?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Sylvester Stallone Just Died Suddenly In Hospital!

People are sharing YouTube and TikTok videos claiming to show Sylvester Stallone just died in a hospital, with titles like :

R.I.P. It’s With Our Deepest Regret to Report About Sudden Death Of Legend actor Sylvester Stallone.

With a heavy heart at the tearful farewell to Legendary actor Sylvester Stallone, goodbye Stallone.

Heartbreaking Final Moments Of Legendary actor Sylvester Stallone – cause of death is hidden!

It happened few minutes! We report extremely sad news about the 76-year-old actor Sylvester Stallone

5 minutes ago / Died on the street / Sylvester Stallone

🔆 Rest In Peace // Legendary Actor ”’Sylvester Stallone”’ Breathed His Last At The Age of 76.

10 minutes ago/ We announce very sad news about Legendary actor Sylvester Stallone, Goodbye Stallone

Sylvester Stallone Passed Away A Few Minutes Ago At His Home / Funeral Held In Hollywood For 3 Days.

Sylvester Stallone Just died RIP FLY HIGH You will be missed 🕊🕊🕊 #rambo #rocky #rockybalboa

Truth : Sylvester Stallone Did Not Died Suddenly Anywhere!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Sylvester Stallone Is Still Alive + Well!

Hollywood legend, Sylvester Stallone (born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6, 1946), is still very much alive and well, as of 11 April 2023.

We know that because he has been actively posting on his official Instagram account in recent days:

11 April : #TheFamilyStallone premieres May 17, streaming exclusively on @paramountplus
11 April : Think Apollo should have stayed Alive?
11 April : Look who’s coming to Dinner !Buster and Angry Mabel

The release of his reality show trailer on 11 April 2023 also came days, weeks, and months after these fake YouTube videos claimed that he died in a hospital, at home, or even on the street!

Fact #2 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported his death.

Sylvester Stallone is a Hollywood icon, starring in the Rocky and Rambo movies, as well as more recently, The Expendables movies.

No legitimate media outlet reported that Sylvester Stallone was sick, much less died suddenly in a hospital!

If Sylvester Stallone did indeed die, the worldwide media would have reported on his death. Yet, no one but small YouTube and TikTok channels picked up on his tragic death? That’s because it never happened.

Fact #3 : The Photos Were Edited

The photos used in these videos were edited from real photos, with some celebrities added in to make it look genuine. In this example, the fake news creator added Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.

The actual photo is of the February 2019 funeral of Argentinian footballer, Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash off Alderney on 21 January 2019.

The photo was taken by Associated Press, and shows Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois and Emiliano Sala’s brother, Dario, helping to carry his coffin at his funeral on 19 February 2019.

Even when it comes to the really good photo-editing efforts, there are still some clues to show you that these were edited images.

In this example, you can see that Sylvester Stallone’s chin appeared to be cut out. More damning is pillow which has a Queensland Health logo on it.

Unless Sylvester Stallone happened to be filming in Queensland, Australia; there is no way he would end up being treated in its hospital!

Fact #4 : Sylvester Stallone Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Sylvester Stallone death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fact check article by the MediaMass Project.

News of actor Sylvester Stallone’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the April 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Rambo or Rocky is alive and well.

Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Sylvester Stallone’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Sunday (April 09, 2023), our beloved actor Sylvester Stallone passed away. Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946 in New York. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 76-year-old actor, director and producer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Sylvester Stallone’s stature would be major news across networks.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Sylvester Stallone Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Sylvester Stallone’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other celebrities whose reps MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Justin Bieber, Simon Cowell, Tom Hanks, Dolly Parton, Lucy Liu, and Melanie Laurent.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Recommended : Did Tom Hanks Just Die Suddenly?!

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Pope Francis Suddenly Become A Fashion Icon?!

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Did Pope Francis recently become a fashion icon, sporting trendy sunglasses and puffer coats?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Pope Francis Is Now A Fashion Icon!

People are sharing photos of Pope Francis sporting trendy sunglasses and puffer coats, suggesting that he has now eschewed his simple clothes for the latest fashion!

Pope Francis was spotted sporting an all white fashion ensemble

Is he trolling?

Ian Miles Cheong : The Pope is a fashion icon. Respect the drip.

🚨 VEJA: Papa Francisco divide opiniões entre cristãos após aparecer com look fashion. Serviu?

🚨 WATCH: Pope Francis divides opinions among Christians after appearing with a fashionable look. Did it work?

Pope giving us a holy fashion sense 🥰🥰

Truth : Fashion Photos Of Pope Francis Were AI-Generated!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created on TikTok, and shared on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : The Photo Was Generated Using Midjourney

The first photo of Pope Francis sporting a fashionable white puffer coat appeared to have been created by trippy_art_special using Midjourney – a text-to-image generator powered by artificial intelligence.

Tripy_art_special posted four Pope Francis fashion photos in the Midjourney Reddit on Friday, 24 March 2023, with the title “The Pope Drip“, but only the first one went viral and was reposted in Twitter, where many people believed it was real, with some calling him “The Dope Pope“.

It then became an inspiration for other people to create their version of Pope Francis looking “dope”, creating the perception that Pope Francis ditched his simple clothes for the latest fashion.

It is unknown if the other photos were also created using Midjourney, or other AI image generators like DALL-E or Stable Diffusion.

Fact #2 : The Photos Have Anomalies

The viral photos of Pope Francis looking fashionable are amazingly realistic, but Midjourney and other text-to-image generators still have trouble with hands and fingers.

If you look at the first viral photo above, you can see that his right hand appears to have most of its fingers cut off, and yet, is implausibly holding onto some kind of object.

The right hand appears normal at first glance, but if you look closely, you will see something odd. Just under the sleeve, the thumb and three fingers are visible, with rings on the middle and ring (fourth) fingers. Yet, those two fingers mysteriously merge and become a single finger a short distance below the rings!

Fact #3 : Pope Francis Is Famous For Dressing Plain

Unlike many of his predecessors, Pope Francis is notable for dressing plain and simple, dispensing with excess adornment.

Instead of silk, Pope Francis opts for simpler and cheaper material like wool. He also wears a simple white cassock, and simple black leather shoes made by a friend, Carlos Samaria in Buenos Aires.

He sports a basic black watch with a white dial, reportedly a Swatch that only costs about $56, and simple glasses. Even the cross he wears is the same iron cross he wore since his anointment as auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992.

Pope Francis also chose to “reuse” a modest papal ring in gold-plated silver that was made decades ago, instead of a new papal ring made in gold specifically for him.

Hence, it is rather peculiar why so many people actually believe that Pope Francis is now a fashion icon with expensive taste!

Pope Francis’s penchant for simple, practical clothes has been coined as the “papal athleisure” style, which has been adopted by the cardinals and many Catholics. In a way, Pope Francis is a fashion influencer, even if he never meant to be one!

Fact #4 : This Is Just Another Example Of AI-Generated Imagery

These fashion photos of Pope Francis are funny, but they are really just another example of AI-generated imagery that are becoming extremely common. Take a look at fake news based on AI-generated photos or videos:

With AI image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion making it easy for people to create photorealistic images out of literally nothing, we can expect many more examples coming up.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Viral Donald Trump Arrest + Escape Photos Explained!

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The viral Donald Trump arrest and prison escape photos are hilarious, and were based on a famous movie!

Take a look for yourself, and learn about the story behind these viral photos!

Donald Trump Arrest Photos Go Viral!

Over the last two days, photos purporting to show police officers trying to arrest Donald Trump have gone viral, with comments like:

Donald Trump has been arrested downtown Washington DC

These photos of Donald Trump getting arrested are too much 💀💀

BREAKING: Donald Trump was just arrested by New York law enforcement.

Breaking News Trump has been arrested after a brief struggle with Police reports say

Viral Donald Trump Arrest + Escape Photos Explained!

The truth is these viral Donald Trump arrest photos are fake, and were generated by artificial intelligence, and is really based on a famous Hollywood movie!

Fact #1 : They Were Generated Using Artificial Intelligence

First, let me just confirmed that all those viral photos of police officers trying to arrest Donald Trump are fake, and were generated by artificial intelligence.

They were created by Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins using the text-to-image generator, Midjourney, which works like other AI image generators – DALL-E and Stable Diffusion.

Eliot Higgins specifically pointed out in his tweets that they were not real, and that he created them:

Making pictures of Trump getting arrested while waiting for Trump’s arrest.

This blew up etc, so donate to Bellingcat so we can catch bad guys and make scenes like this real

Meanwhile, in AI Trump world:

Fact #2 : The Photos Have Anomalies

If you look closely, many of those Donald Trump arrest photos have graphical anomalies that will tell you that they were generated by AI. Just take a look at this one iconic photo:

Donald Trump’s head is abnormally large, with misplaced hair, and half an ear that is misplaced under his jawline.
The police officer’s hand is missing a finger.
Donald Trump appears to be wearing a belt with a baton attached!
Not highlighted here, but the caps of the police officers have nonsensical text.

Based on those anomalies alone, this photo was very likely created using a text-to-image generator.

Fact #3 : Eliot Higgins Got Banned From Midjourney

After Eliot Higgins shared his work on Twitter, he apparently got banned from Midjourney.

Apparently doing a viral thread about Donald Trump using Midjourney images is enough to get you banned from Midjourney, oops.

Fact #4 : The Photo Story Was Based On Shawshank Redemption

While most people only shared the photos of Donald Trump getting arrested, Eliot Higgins actually posted about 50 photos, all of which tell a story he called “Trumpshank Redemption“, because it was based on the legendary 1994 movie, Shawshank Redemption!

At least I still have ChatGPT 4, so here’s the Trumpshank Redemption for those of you who have stuck around this long.

Here was a mini-script he wrote for TrumpShank Redemption, interleaved with some of what I felt were his best AI-generated prison photos.

INT. TRUMPSHANK PRISON – NIGHT

A dark, imposing prison stands tall in the night. The year is 1994. A bus arrives, carrying a group of prisoners, including DONALD TRUMP, a wealthy businessman convicted for tax fraud and various other crimes. The prisoners are led by the cruel WARDEN NORTON and his sadistic chief guard, CAPTAIN HADLEY.

INT. PRISON – DAY

Trump arrives at his cell, meeting his cellmate, ELLIS “RED” REDDING, an inmate who has already served a long time at Trumpshank.

RED (voiceover)

Donald Trump. The man who had everything, now in a place where he has nothing.

INT. PRISON MESS HALL – DAY

Trump and Red sit together, eating the dismal prison food.

TRUMP

RED (smirks)

This isn’t a hotel, Donald. It’s a prison.

INT. PRISON YARD – DAY

You know, Red, I could make this place great again. It just needs a few improvements, some gold-plated walls, a luxury golf course.

Trump and Red continue their conversation, surrounded by a group of other inmates.

TRUMP

Red, I need you to get me some things. You’re the guy who can get things, right?

RED (chuckles)

I’ve been known to locate certain items from time to time. What do you need?

TRUMP

I need a chisel, a rock hammer, and a large poster of Ivanka Trump.

RED

(raising an eyebrow)

A poster of your daughter? That’s… unusual.

TRUMP

Trust me, Red. I have a plan. A tremendous plan.

INT. PRISON LIBRARY – DAY

Trump works as an assistant librarian under the watchful eye of the old, wise inmate, BROOKS. He uses his business acumen to expand the library and improve the educational opportunities for the inmates.

TRUMP (voiceover)

I knew that to make Trumpshank great again, I needed to start with the library. Knowledge is power, after all.

INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT

Trump carefully chips away at the wall behind his Ivanka poster with his rock hammer.

INT. PRISON – MONTHS LATER

Warden Norton discovers that Trump has been using his position in the library to help launder money for the prison staff.

NORTON (angry)

You think you can outsmart me, Trump? You’re in here for a reason.

TRUMP (smirking)

Warden, I’m a businessman. I know how to make a deal. You let me continue, and we both benefit. It’s a win-win.

NORTON (grudgingly)

You better keep your end of the bargain, Trump. Or else.

INT. PRISON YARD – DAY

Trump confides in Red about his plan.

TRUMP

I’ve been digging a tunnel, Red. I’m going to escape, and when I do, I’ll expose Norton and Hadley for their corruption.

Recommended : Did Bruce Willis Just Die In A Hospital?!

Unlike in Shawshank Redemption though, Eliot has Donald Trump running straight for the nearest McDonald’s (Minonad – another AI screw-up LOL) in Trumpshank Redemption. Donald Trump is well-known for his love of McDonald’s burgers.

But honestly, Eliot jumped the shark when he had Donald Trump actually “run”. The former US President infamously started his campaign going down an escalator, and had to slowly walk down a ramp as President.

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Did Vladimir Putin Kneel Before Xi Jinping?!

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Did Russian President Vladimir Putin kneel before Chinese President Xi Jinping, to kiss his hand?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Vladimir Putin Was Forced To Kneel Before Xi Jinping!

People are claiming on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, that Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced to kneel before Chinese President Xi Jinping, and kiss his hand!

…Slava Ukraini…braveness of Ukraine soldiers has led the cruest current dictator Putin to kneel before China Xi jinping…Putin can’t believe the strongness of Ukrainians… Slava Ukraini

#putin gives #xi a kiss and kneels

We all wonder does Putin need to go on his knees in order to get Weapons from China?

Back in the old day Leaders often Visited Leaders and needed to kneel down while requesting support.
#leaders #china #russia #Criminals

#Russian propaganda loved to spread the slogan “Russians won’t kneel.”

#XiJinping #putin
#UkraineRussianWar

Truth : Vladimir Putin Did Not Kneel Before Xi Jinping!

This is yet an example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by pro-Ukrainian groups to mock Russia and China, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported This

No legitimate Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese or international media outlet reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced to, or voluntarily chose to, kneel before Xi Jinping during the Chinese President’s state visit to Russia.

The very act of a Russian head of state kneeling before his Chinese counterpart would have caused massive outrage in Russia, and shock in Ukraine, the West and even in China.

Yet no legitimate media outlet reported on it? That’s because it never happened.

Fact #2 : Photo Appears To Be AI-Generated

A closer examination of the photo shows several artifacts that suggest that it was AI-generated.

The man on the left appears to lack thumbs, and his two hands appear to melt together.
The nose and left ear on Xi Jinping’s head appears to be misplaced.
Vladimir Putin’s head is overly large in proportion to his body, and his ear is strangely misplaced.
Vladimir Putin’s legs appear to be distorted with the right leg appearing much larger than the left leg.
Vladimir Putin’s right knee mysteriously appears behind the heel of his left leg.

Based on those anomalies, this photo is very likely generated by a text-to-image generator.

Fact #3 : Photo Originated In A Ukrainian Telegram Group

This viral photo of Vladimir Putin kneeling before Xi Jinping to kiss his hand appears to have originated in a Ukrainian Telegram group called УНИАН – новости Украины (UNIAN – news of Ukraine).

Fact #4 : OP Indicated The Photo Was Edited / Generated

The person who originally posted the photo in the Ukrainian Telegram group, indicated that it was Photoshopped.

Хейтеры скажут, что фотошоп, но мы-то знаем, что х*йло давно хотел облобызать нефритовый стержень товарища Си 😅

Haters will say it’s photoshopped, but we know that x*ylo wanted to kiss Comrade Xi’s jade rod for a long time 😅

Fact #5 : Background Do Not Match Actual Meeting Room

The furniture and walls in the viral photo also do not appear to match the official photos of the room where Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met.

Instead of a dark green and white columns, the actual meeting room has a light green wall with gold trims and white columns.

The chairs in the viral photo are dark brown with beige cushions, while the real chairs are white, with off-white cushions. The actual table is also white, while the table in the viral photo is dark brown.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Ukraine War Fake News

This is yet another example of fake news created around the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and here are other examples:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

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The viral photo of the Luxembourg Prime Minister and his wife is FAKE!

Here is what you need to know about that viral photo!

Updated @ 2023-03-20 : Updated with some additional details
First published @ 2022-05-20

Claim : This Is Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel + His Wife!

People have been sharing this viral photo since 2019, but it is going viral again in pro-Russia and pro-CCP groups.

Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel arriving for a function with his wife, Gauthier Destenay.

卢森堡总理和他妖艳的妻子，留着胡子穿着鱼尾裙，很fashion，你觉得呢？

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg and his coquettish wife, with beards and fishtail skirts, are very fashionable, what do you think?

卢森堡首相贝泰尔携”夫人”昨天抵京，开始对华访问。这是全球首个首相同性恋, 可拭目以待！！

Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel arrived in Beijing yesterday with his “Madame” and started his visit to China. This is the world’s first gay prime minister Can wait and see! !

Truth : Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS designed to disparage the LGBT community and/or European / NATO leaders.

The very fact that this claim was resurrected from 2019, after Europe heavily sanctioned Russia for invading Ukraine, tells us that this is hardly coincidental.

It then went viral again in March 2023, right after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In any case, here are the reasons why this is NOT a photo of the Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, or his wife.

Fact #1 : Xavier Bettel Is Married To Gauthier Destenay

Xavier Bettel is Luxembourg’s first openly gay Prime Minister, and he married his partner, Gauthier Destenay, a Belgian architect.

Bettel and Destenay had been civil partners since 2010, but was able to marry each other on 15 May 2015 – a year after the Luxembourg Parliament approved same-sex marriage.

Here are real photos of Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel (right) with his partner, at their town hall wedding.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, right, puts his hand around the shoulder of his partner Gauthier Destenay after their marriage at the town hall in Luxembourg, on Friday, May 15, 2015. The marriage comes one year after the parliament approved legislation to turn Luxembourg into an increasing number of countries allowing for same-sex marriages. Bettel and Destenay have been civil partners since 2010. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)