Fuzzable
‘Fake news’ is a term we hear more and more often. This term describes any news article that is verifiably and intentionally false. As such, they were designed to manipulate the reader’s perception of real events, facts, and statements.
There have been many fake news incidents in recent times, and you can check out this celebrity fake news index for a running list of the celebrities who have been involved. However, below, we look at three of the biggest fake news celebrity scandals that have taken us for a ride all over the internet:
The Avril Lavigne ‘death’ theory
We’ve got to start with the craziest fake news story of them all – that singer Avril Lavigne passed away between 2002 and 2004, and her friend and actress, Melissa Vandella, has replaced her.
The singer did indeed disappear from the spotlight while struggling with Lyme disease.
However, a story has made the rounds that Lavigne’s record company initially hired Vandella to be her body double. But she then took over her career and identity when the real Avril passed away. Crazy!
Jennifer Lopez’s insured bum
For many years, people have believed that Jennifer Lopez’s bum is insured for a small sum of $27 million.
She is one of many celebrities that are rumored to have insured their body parts. This news wasn’t surprising because soccer players often take out comprehensive insurance policies for their legs while playing sports.
In the case of J.Lo, though, this is nothing more than a rumor. She cleared this up when she appeared on the Carpool Karaoke segment of the Late Night Show with James Corden.
She joked:
“No! There is no such thing as that. [Is it in case] something happens to it? Does it disappear? Does somebody steal it?
James Corden replied:
“It would be odd to insure your ass. What are you doing with it? Is it in case you sit on something sharp?”
Beyonce’s ‘fake’ pregnancy
Last but not least, we have Beyonce, who is one of the top 20 celebrities associated with fake news. For some reason, someone started a rumor claiming that Beyonce had faked her pregnancy, and people worldwide started to buy the story.
Back in 2011, Beyonce revealed her baby bump while performing at the VMAs. When she went on to do an interview on ‘Sunday Night’ in Australia, conspiracy theorists believed her belly deflated whenever she sat down.
Even when Blue Ivy was born, the rumors did not disappear, with people insisting the couple’s daughter looked more like Jay-Z than Beyonce.
However, the fake news was finally put to bed during Beyonce’s special documentary on HBO in 2013, where footage of her bare baby bump was featured.
It’s not the first time Beyonce has been at the center of a fake news scandal. The Rihanna and Jay-Z cheating rumors also spring to mind.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from the three instances, it’s that fake news is pretty much everywhere we go, and it’s difficult to stop the spread of it. However, before believing something is true, consider reading different articles and looking at alternative new sources.
