Does a real video show a large container ship listing and capsizing in front of bystanders on another craft? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated. It was originally posted by an account that describes itself as posting "AI Videos Daily." The containers shown in the video do not shift realistically as the ship begins to roll, and the…
Is a video showing a statue of Jesus the Redeemer being erected on the Mount of the Cross in Al-Qaa, Lebanon, real? Yes, that's true: The video shows the installation of a statue of Jesus the Redeemer in the Lebanese village of Al-Qaa in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanese media reported that the statue was erected in March 2026 on Jabal…
Did Carol Burnett and other celebrities say Donald Trump "has been abused and lied about since taking office" and "stood like a lion against a pack of jackals"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Burnett and the others ever said that about Trump. The claim was an example of so-called "Viet Spam" campaigns of nearly identical made-up…
Does a video on social media show what posts described as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "hiding in schools thinking Israel won't bomb them"? No, that's not true: It's not real footage. The clip was made with generative AI from a photo that predated the Feb. 28, 2026, U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, as well as the following escalation. The claim…
Do the Epstein files reveal that Ellen DeGeneres and hundreds of Hollywood VIPs ate Stanley Kubrick at a satanic ritual? No, that's not true: There are no reports in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice that claim DeGeneres or anyone else ate Hollywood director Kubrick at a satanic ritual. The article does not cite any sources for…
Did President Donald Trump post a message about a "Hormuz Peace Board" on his Truth Social account on March 16, 2026? No, that's not true: No post including the phrase "Hormuz Peace Board" could be found on Trump's Truth Social account. There is no evidence online that the president ever shared a post accusing Presidents Obama and Biden of starting…
Is a video showing Erling Haaland, a Manchester City footballer, reciting the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, and converting to Islam, real? No, that's not true: An online AI video detection tool determined that the clip is 100% "likely to be AI-Generated."A separate tool found that the video showed signs of having been created or modified using AI tools…
Does the screen of the coffee shop register in a video recently shared by Benjamin Netanyahu show a date stamp from 2024? No, that's not true: Lead Stories examined the highest resolution version of Netanyahu's video. The date stamp visible on the register's screen reads "15/03/2026." The claim appeared in a March 15, 2026, post by the X account @merlinscapital…
Is a video showing a Politico report claiming Germany is preparing to take in 400,000 Palestinian refugees real? No, that's not true: There are no reports from Politico or any other news organization that Germany plans to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees, Palestinian or otherwise. In addition, an online AI detection tool determined that the audio in the…
Does a viral image show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Israeli Defense Forces soldiers in March 2026 amid rumors of his death? No, that's not true: The photo has been online since 2018. As of this writing, no credible media outlet has reported that Netanyahu was wounded or killed in the most recent round of escalation in…
Are videos showing dogs at a pet adoption event choosing which humans they want to go home with real? No, that's not true: The videos were made by artificial intelligence tools. A close examination of these videos reveals glitches, such as distorted hands and odd objects, that are typical of AI-generated videos. An AI content detection tool and AI disclosure…
Did Keanu Reeves, Clint Black, Billy Joel and other celebrities suddenly all discover that a woman who once cared for them was still working part time at 85 to pay her rent? No, that's not true: The sob story about all of them "stepping in" and donating a "permanent home" and "financial support" was made up by a network of…
Is a new Disneyland theme park valued at "$100 billion" coming to Ohio as some social media posts claim? No, that's not true: The news originated on Mouse Trap News, a satirical publication specializing in Disney-related stories. The site described the story about a new park in Cincinnati as "totally made-up" in the footer of the article. The story came…
Did Sophie Cunningham and other famous people including Alice Cooper, Ice Cube and Myles Garrett say that President Donald Trump is a "tough man" and "no one has fought harder for the heart and soul of America"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Cunningham and the others ever said that about Trump. The claim was an example…
Does a viral video show Downtism Cafe in Tehran being destroyed by a U.S.-Israeli airstrike? No, that's not true: The video appeared on the internet 25 days before the most recent military escalation in the region. It showed the consequences of a fire, not a strike. The claim appeared in a post published on X (archived here, here and here)…
Is this a real video of the Burj Al Arab hotel in the Jumeirah neighborhood burning after drone and missile attacks? No, that's not true: An online AI video detection tool determined that the clip is 100 percent "likely to be AI-Generated." A separate tool found visual inconsistencies that resemble computer-generated imagery or CGI. The claim appeared in a video…
Was the crowd seen behind President Donald Trump at a Kentucky rally an AI-generated creation, since it didn't appear to be captured on camera phones in the audience? No, that's not true: The phones don't show the people behind Trump because they capture a different angle than the TV camera does, and instead show the white wall above him. The…
Does a screenshot of a video show that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has six fingers? No, that's not true: The screenshot captured a moment when there is a shadow on the side of his hand. The full video from Israel's Government Press Office shows him speaking and gesturing with his hands, each of which has five fingers. The screenshot…
Did Pope Francis order the closure of the Vatican Secret Archives over a scandal revealed in the Epstein files in March 2026? No, that's not true: The post claimed Pope Francis ordered the sealing of the archives in March 2026, but he died in April 2025. There are no legitimate news reports of the Vatican sealing the archives as of…
Did British actress Adjoa Andoh accuse the "Lord of the Rings" movies of blackface over a scene where Frodo's face was covered in ash? No, that's not true: Accounts that boosted the claim on social media as real took it from a self-described satire page. No credible news organizations reported the purported controversy. The story originated from a post (archived…
Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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