Yahoo Lifestyle 19 Celebrities Who Actively Spread Misinformation
We're thick in the age of misinformation that often impacts the most vulnerable.
Fake news spreads quicker than facts, while unsubstantiated conspiracy theories are pervasive on social media. It's hard to escape when information flies 100 miles per minute.
What's worse is that celebrities and trusted public figures have played a role in disseminating false information. Below, we've rounded up 19 celebrities who've spread misinformation over the years.
Where to start? Throughout his political career, Trump has skewed and straight-up spread misinformation to the American public. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the "rigged" election claims that led to the January 6th insurrection, Trump has been just as much of a proponent of spreading fake news as the media outlets he claims do the same.
Cruise's commitment to Scientology in the past has proven to be problematic, and perhaps that's why their community hasn't necessarily been received in good faith by the public. Cruise denounced psychiatry as "pseudoscience" while trying to uplift the Church of Scientology during an interview with NBC. Later, he admitted that he was arrogant in that situation. "After looking at it I really thought it's not what I intended. I thought in looking at myself that I came across as arrogant," Cruise said, per Reuters. "I absolutely could have handled that better."
3.Kyrie Irving
While a brilliant basketball player, Irving has faced his fair share of backlash in recent years. Not only for his hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine but also for pushing flat-earth conspiracy theories. He later went on to say it was an "exploitation tactic" and claimed he was trolling during an interview with Toucher and Rich.
Paltrow has, surprisingly, been at the forefront of several accusations of spreading misinformation. Her testimony surrounding how she treated long-term COVID-19, including fasting and frequent visits to an infrared sauna, prompted the NHS to condemn her suggestion of "intuitive fasting." Furthermore, she's also faced backlash for what has been described as health and wellness misinformation through her company, Goop, which some health experts have described as being pseudoscience-based.
5.Ye (Kanye West)
An affiliate of Donald Trump and arguably one of the most divisive musicians of the 21st century, Ye's social media activity and interviews in recent years have had an immense impact on his fanbase, his peers, and the global community at large. His appearance on Drink Champs (an episode that has since been pulled from YouTube) not only saw Ye double down on antisemitic conspiracies but also claim that George Floyd didn't die at the hands of police brutality but rather a drug overdose, per the Hollywood Reporter.
6.Elon Musk
Perhaps one of the worst perpetrators of spreading misinformation, Elon Musk has been scrutinized for pushing unsubstantiated claims surrounding the election, COVID-19, and general conspiracies. In fact, he ended up removing the Community Notes function on X (formerly known as Twitter) last year after he was fact-checked and claimed that it was being "gamed by state actors," per Sky News.
7.Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy has been vocally against vaccines due to the conspiracy theory that it has been the cause of autism in children. Her views have been challenged often during appearances on Larry King Live and other shows where she's debated medical experts. Still, she's remained committed to pushing these theories. However, she's claimed that she doesn't consider herself anti-vaccine but rather pro-safe vaccine, per PBS.
8.Roger Stone
Considering that Stone was a close ally of Donald Trump, it's not inconceivable that he'd be peddling misinformation. In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Stone was among those who claimed that election fraud took place. What's worse, footage obtained by several news outlets revealed that he plotted to overturn the election.
9.Joe Rogan
Among the most vocal opponents of COVID-19 mandates is Joe Rogan. Throughout the pandemic, he often pushed anti-vaxx and COVID-19 theories, along with controversial guests who would back up his claims. Ultimately, it led to a group of physicians asking Spotify to restrict the misinformation he was spreading, per Rolling Stone.
10.Nicki Minaj
The Pink Friday rapper has shown right-leaning tendencies over the years, and her take on the COVID-19 vaccine was arguably one of the wildest conspiracies anyone has touted over the years. On X/Twitter, she revealed that she wouldn't go to the Met Gala since vaccines were required, but she said that her hesitancy was partially due to her cousin's friend allegedly becoming impotent after the jab. She faced immediate backlash with Dr. Anthony Fauci and the health minister of Trinidad and Tobago debunking her claims.
"Every time I talk about politics, people get mad,” Minaj told Vogue. “I’m sorry, but I am not going to be told who I should get on social media and campaign for. There’s a lot we don’t know that’s going on in the government, and I don’t think it changes whether you lean to the left or right."
11.Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr's questionable online activity has been subject to plenty of analysis, backlash, and general disdain. Barr has pushed QAnon conspiracy theories and pro-Trump conspiracy theories in the past, many of which have been debunked, according to CNN.
12.Kylie Jenner
13.Woody Harrelson
The coronavirus pandemic undoubtedly led to some wild theories, including one suggesting a link between the respiratory infection and 5G networks. Per Al-Jazeera, Woody Harrelson, unfortunately, was one of the celebrities who suggested that 5G cell phone networks have resulted in adverse effects, specifically COVID-19.
14.Jim Carrey
Another anti-vaxx promoter, Jim Carrey has previously pushed back against the idea of vaccinating children. According to The Guardian, he previously called out the former governor of California, Jerry Brown, for passing a bill that required all children to be vaccinated.
15.Lil Pump
The "Gucci Gang" rapper has turned into a staunch Trump supporter, one who clearly didn't mind when the former president referred to him as "Lil Pimp." Nonetheless, he's gone to bat for Trump in recent weeks, including trying to push the theory that Kamala Harris isn't Black, per Billboard.
16.Rosie O'Donnell
It's been over 20 years since the tragedy of 9/11, yet many are still unconvinced that the U.S. government didn't have a role in the attack. Rosie O'Donnell, for instance, has openly rejected the mainstream narrative of what happened in 2001. According to the Washington Post, she previously stated that she does "not believe the official story."
17.Ted Nugent
Nugent infamously became a COVID-19 denier in the thick of the pandemic. "It’s not a real pandemic, and that’s not a real vaccine,” he said in a livestream, per Forbes. Ironically, he caught COVID and detailed just how bad the symptoms got.
18.Candace Owens
These days, Candace Owens has undoubtedly garnered enough detractors from both the left and the right, but that's largely due to some of the theories she's espoused. Whether it's attempting to discredit George Floyd's death as a result of an overdose rather than a murder at the hands of the police, downplaying white supremacy, or joining the likes of Elon Musk and Joe Rogan in discrediting the dangers of COVID-19, the political commentator has faced tremendous backlash for pushing misinformation onto the public, as documented by the State Journal-Register.
19.Rob Schneider
Another anti-vaxx advocate, Rob Schneider obnoxiously urged his X/Twitter followers against getting the COVID-19 vaccine. "Just say no… And keep saying no,” Schneider posted, per Page Six. “Over Half of the US population is continuing to say no to this unapproved experimental gene therapy!"
Are there any celebrities we missed? Share them in the comments.
