Lead Stories

Fact Check: Video Of Flying Egg-Shaped Object Does NOT Come From First Pentagon Release Of UFO Files

2026-05-15T22:20:27Z

Was a viral video of a flying egg-shaped object part of the Pentagon UFO files release? No, that's not true: Lead Stories reviewed the first -- and the only available, as of this writing -- batch of the released materials and did not find the video in question there. It also did not match the visual style of other released videos.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here and here) published on TikTok on May 11, 2026, under the caption:

Pentagon Releases UFO/ UAP Files. USA April 18, 2005 #UFO #usa🇺🇸 #aliens #conspiracytheory #UAP

The location tag read:

Chihuahuan Desert · Fort Davis.

This is what the video looked like on TikTok:

(Image source: post by @pride_usa on TikTok.)

Lead Stories manually watched 28 clips uploaded to the Pentagon website as part of the first release (archived here) on May 8, 2026, but none of them showed the same object as in the video shared on social media.

The video recordings that contained additional coordinates of the location were released in a different form, with that data redacted. The composite image below shows what the real videos from the Pentagon website looked like (click to view larger):

(Image source: Pentagon.)

Lead Stories also manually reviewed other files from the first release that contained some still pictures. None of those pages showed the exact match to the object from the viral video.

Lead Stories reached out to the agencies whose files were published under the presidential directive (archived here).

A NASA spokesperson told Lead Stories via email on May 12, 2026:

NASA did not release any UAP videos separately from what we shared with the new war.gov website. The video... was not from NASA.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the matters involving viral videos, suggesting filing a FOIA request to discuss already released files. The U.S. Navy referred this reporter to the Pentagon duty officer, who, in turn, redirected the Lead Stories inquiry to the person who was said not to be in the office on the day of the inquiry and didn't respond later.

If we receive more replies, this story will be updated as appropriate.

Fact Check: FAKE Video Of Military Captain 'Elena Carter' Not Saluting Trump Is AI-Generated

2026-05-15T20:45:08Z

Does a real video show a female military captain named Elena Carter not saluting President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The video was posted on an account that contains self-described AI videos. Details in the video also point to it being AI-generated.

The claim appeared in a post made on Threads on May 14, 2026 (archived here). It included a video of military personnel standing near someone who looks like Trump, with a female officer appearing to ignore him. The caption read:

Her reaction is PRICELESS! I salute you

This is what the video looked like:

(Image source: post by @drgrammi16 on Threads.)

The post on Threads included a link to an Instagram account named @captainelenacarter (archived here). The video was posted (archived here) on the Instagram account on April 24, 2026, with the caption:

A Normal Moment... in an Unusual Day with Donald Trump #storytime #trump

The bio of the Instagram account discusses AI content, reading:

🎬 Want to learn how I make viral AI videos?
☕ Support the channel via PayPal if you enjoy the content and want to help future projects grow ❤️

Although the account avatar does not resemble the female officer in the video (the so-called "Captain Elena Carter"), the rest of the account features "Captain Elena Carter" engaging in various military activities and supposedly posing with AI versions of U.S. presidents, including several posts of AI Trump (archived here). However, evidence indicates that "Captain Elena Carter" is an AI-generated character: this is supported not only by the account's bio but by clear visual clues.

There are several telltale signs of AI in the video being examined in this fact check, especially surrounding the officer's uniform. For example, although the Instagram account is about "Captain Elena Carter," the nametag on the female officer reads "Reyes" or "Reves," with the wording on another tag above it completely unclear (red circle in the image below).

(Image source: post by @drgrammi16 on Threads. Red circle added by Lead Stories.)

The officer fidgets with her uniform as if she is closing a button, but there is no button where her fingers keep moving (yellow arrows in images below).

(Image source: post by @drgrammi16 on Threads. Yellow arrows added by Lead Stories.)

Although it is not clear from this video which military branch the officer is supposedly in, another video from the @captainelenacarter Instagram account shows (archived here) "U.S. ARMY" on her uniform. However, her last name is also listed as "ARMY."

Additionally, it appears that a notable officer named "Elena Carter" does not exist beyond the social media posts that appear to be AI-generated. A Google search for "Elena Carter AND military" did not return any results that are from non-social media sources (archived here).

Fact Check: STAGED Video Shows Creepy Encounter With A Woman In The Woods -- A Recurring Theme By Paranormal YouTube Channel

2026-05-15T20:37:14Z

Does a video show a real encounter with a strange woman in the woods who asked hikers, "Did you see my other two guys?" No, that's not true: This video is a small clip from a long-format skit published by a paranormal YouTube channel in September 2023. The channel features mysterious adventures guided by an exploring app called Randonautica. Many of the adventures involve encounters with a character referred to as a "stalker". This same woman wearing a red and yellow mask and blue surgical scrubs appears in several videos published by the channel.

The two-minute, four-second clip surfaced in a post (archived here) published on X by @LoudOutside on May 12, 2026. It was captioned:

Couple encountered a bizarre woman during their hike "did you see my other two guys"

This is a screenshot of the video:

(Image source: @loudoutside post on X.)

The reposted video footage is poor quality and has subtitles. Tracking down the original source was not simple as the video has gone viral without credit on several social media platforms. One copy (archived here) was published on TikTok on May 6, 2026 by @wild.bunker6, who had posted several additional related clips. In another video clip (archived here) posted by the same TikTok account on the same day, the metallic gold lettering on the woman's yellow t-shirt was legible and promoted a YouTube channel, "Don't Blink Paranormal".

Lead Stories found the original footage of this encounter in a video by that channel (archived here) titled, "Scariest Randonautica Took Us to Spot That Got Us Ambushed! Stalker Exposes Herself!" published Sept. 8, 2023. The jump scare moment where the stalker comes up on them on the trail occurs at 25 minutes, 39 seconds (embedded below).

The app Randonautica figures into the titles and storylines of many of the Don't Blink Paranormal videos. The app (archived here) bills itself as "Intent-Guided Random Exploring". The description suggests the app has paranormal functionality:

Quantum random exploration can change reality as you know it. The superpower behind Randonautica gives you a random location to journey to. Set your intention in your mind for what you seek, you will find.

Another video (archived here) features a brief scene showing the stalker with the red and yellow mask at seven seconds, before the opening credits (pictured below). The video is titled, "(Police Called) Stalker Gets Payback From Us for Attacking Us! We Explore an Abandoned Town!" This video premiered Sept. 18, 2023.

(Image source: Don't Blink Paranormal video on YouTube.)

In another video (archived here) titled, "Dangerous Randonautica Experience, Our Stalker Tries Exploring With Us!" from July 18, 2023, the couple encounter the stalker wearing an orange outfit in a cemetery. This ties in with the moment in the ambush video at 26 minutes, 51 seconds when the stalker asks the YouTube audience directly, "YouTubers! Got a question. YouTubers! Can I wear my orange outfit with this -- like the blue?"

At 40 minutes, 56 seconds in the cemetery video, the explorers' flashlights illuminate the stalker's back as she turns away from them. The stalker's orange shirt has Don't Blink written on it (pictured below). Clearly this "stalker" is in on the production.

(Image source: Don't Blink Paranormal video on YouTube.)

Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Real Attacker Threatening Michael Jackson With A Rifle On Stage -- It Was A Scripted Concert Scene

2026-05-15T19:27:01Z

Does a video show a real attacker threatening Michael Jackson with a rifle on stage? No, that's not true: The footage shows a staged theatrical moment from Jackson's 1996-1997 HIStory World Tour. The scene took place during "Earth Song," which explored themes of environmental destruction and human conflict.

The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here) by the @StreetFightsHQ account on X on May 14, 2026. It read:

This is easily one of the most shocking moments in concert history as Michael Jackson was right in the middle of performing Earth Song when someone pulled a weapon on him

This is what a screenshot from the clip in the post looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @StreetFightsHQ on X.)

The video is embedded below:

This is easily one of the most shocking moments in concert history as Michael Jackson was right in the middle of performing Earth Song when someone pulled a weapon on him pic.twitter.com/R6S5sZoLeN
-- Insane Clips (@StreetFightsHQ) May 14, 2026

Lead Stories found two professional recordings of "Earth Song" from the HIStory tour in July 1997, showing the scene in two European cities, with a different actor portraying the soldier in each recording. The first is from Munich (archived here) and the second is from Basel, Switzerland (archived here). Both are embedded below:

Munich

The actor portraying the soldier in the social media post matches the performer who appeared in the Munich concert footage. The only difference is that the image has been flipped side to side.

Basel, Switzerland

Lead Stories searched Google News (archived here) and Yahoo! News (archived here) for the words: "Michael Jackson" and "man with weapon on stage during concert." Neither search found matching reports. Had a man with a rifle stormed on stage during one of Jackson's concerts, major news outlets would likely have covered it extensively.

Fact Check: Sign Does NOT Show Starbucks Banning Pets In U.S., U.K., Ireland To Become Halal-Certified

2026-05-15T16:54:34Z

Did Starbucks place signs in its U.K., U.S. and Ireland coffee shops saying that the company bans pets to become halal-certified? No, that's not true: The sign in the images shared as supposed proof was located in Singapore. However, a Starbucks spokesperson told Lead Stories the sign was posted erroneously and has since been removed.

The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on May 15, 2026. It opened:

In Dublin just yesterday. This is absurd. We are told Islamic population growth is exaggerated and its cultural influence is minimal yet we are supposedly so beholden to accommodate for them.

The post shared an image with the Starbucks logo that read:

From 25 May 2026, pets will no longer be permitted in our indoor and outdoor seating areas.

This change is part of our transition toward halal-certified operations.

Guide dogs are welcome.

Thank you for your understanding.

This is what the picture looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @JakeFitzsimons on X.)

Similar images were shared on social media, implying that the coffee company was about to prohibit pets in other localities, including the U.S. (archived here) and the U.K. (archived here).

On May 15, 2026, a Starbucks spokesperson told Lead Stories via email:

The sign was put up in Singapore and was posted erroneously. It has now been removed. There are no changes to our pet friendly policies. We have apologised to customers for the confusion caused.

When asked in a follow-up email if the sign in question ever appeared anywhere outside Singapore, the spokesperson said:

It was only in Singapore.

As of the time of writing, the Starbucks Singapore website listed nearly 30 pet-friendly locations (archived here).

A search of the halal-certified food establishments database on the website of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (archived here), showed no matches for the word "Starbucks":

(Image source: MUIS.)

Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Trump, Musk And Huang Raising Their Fists In Front Of Chinese Flag, Joining Communist Party

2026-05-15T16:28:40Z

Does a real photo show President Donald Trump and tech CEOs Elon Musk and Jensen Huang raising their fists in front of a Chinese flag? No, that's not true: The image shows common signs of AI generation. There are no credible news reports that the three men pledged allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party, nor any documentation of the fist-raising gesture shown in the image while they were in China in May 2026.

The claim appeared in a post and image (archived here) by the @aintscarylarry account on X on May 14, 2026. It read:

The next time a dipshit MAGA calls you a "communist," reply to them with this photo.

This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @aintscarylarry on X.)

This fake photo is designed to look like a screenshot of a CCTV (China Central Television) news bulletin, the state-run broadcaster in the People's Republic of China. The Chinese characters along the bottom of the image, "特朗普黄仁勋马斯克宣誓加入中国共产党," translate to (archived here): "Trump, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk swear allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party."

Lead Stories searched Google News (archived here) and Yahoo! News (archived here) for the words: "Trump, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk swear allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party." Neither search found matching reports. Had the men made such a pledge, major news outlets would likely have reported it widely.

Lead Stories also searched the CCTV website (archived here) using the Chinese characters from the fake news bulletin and found no results (translated to English and archived here).

Signs of AI generation

The image shows several common signs of AI generation. The skin looks unnatural, and the faces blend poorly with the bodies at the neck and collar. The lighting on the figures is too even compared to the background, and the textures appear mismatched throughout. The raised fists also show signs of AI generation -- the fingers appear oddly shaped and the wrists merged into clothing, a frequent flaw in AI-generated images.

Fact Check: FAKE 'After Image' Does NOT Match Actual Destruction For "Gaza in 2023 and 2026" Comparison

2026-05-14T22:18:44Z

Does a real image show how Gaza looks in 2026 compared to how it looked in 2023? No, that's not true: The "before image" really shows the Al Rasheed coastal road in 2022 or 2023 but the "after image" purporting to show 2026 is fake. The modern architecture of the Sheikh Ajlin Mosque's upright minaret tower serves as a landmark visible in the before picture and in the fake after picture. But, satellite imagery as far back as April 2024 shows the mosque almost entirely flattened and the tower fallen in the rubble. This is corroborated by drone footage posted by a Turkish news agency in Nov. 2025.

The fake image appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @HasanEssam29636 on May 12, 2026. It was captioned:

One of the most terrifying images in history: a transformation from life to death. Gaza in 2023 and 2026!

This is the image included with the post:

(Image source: @HasanEssam29636 post on X.)

This neighborhood was already heavily damaged in airstrikes by April 2024. In 2026, the mosque no longer looks as the fake image depicts it. Visible in the lower right corner of the image above, it is damaged but still recognizable with an almost intact facade and a standing tower.

The fake image has a watermark with a name, "Mohammad ismail shamallk". A Google search for the name did not produce any relevant results. An image search with Google Lens for 'exact matches' only returned duplicate social media posts, but no other site on which the photo is found.

The "before" image has the watermark of freelance press photographer Mustafa Thuraya, whose Instagram bio describes him as "a drone photographer from Gaza", and his name is spelled Thraya (archived here). Reuters reported he was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Jan. 7, 2024 (archived here). Lead Stories has not verified if this image was indeed from Thuraya or what date it was taken. At least two versions of the image exist. Version two, with no watermark (archived here) has small changes to brighten colors, change the clouds, and obscure the advertising on the billboard. The buildings in the two versions of the "before image" remain the same, as do the positions of the vehicles on the street. Similar drone footage was posted on TikTok on April 2, 2023 by the official account of the mosque's architect, Ridwan Kamil (archived here). The caption of the 2023 TikTok post (automatically translated) explains the significance but does not credit a photographer:

The Sheikh Azlin Mosque, which was destroyed in 2014 by an Israeli bombing, is now standing tall. And this is the first Ramadan people in the district to be able to worship with afdal, after 8 years of prayer always use emergency tents. All thanks to donations from institutional donors, individuals and Indonesian netizens raised through @ amanpalestin _ id.

A Nov. 28, 2022 video on YouTube (archived here) is titled, "Reconstruction of Masjid Sheikh Ijlin (Khalil Al-Wazir)". This video has several exterior shots which show the buildings on either side of the mosque, the ornamental lattice of the facade, the tower, and the surrounding neighborhood. The screenshot below is from the 00:15 mark.

(Image source: Aman Palestin video on YouTube.)

The 'Historical Imagery' feature on Google Earth allows a viewer to toggle across a timeline of satellite images of a specific location through the years. Lead Stories used it to examine the location: 31.502630, 34.414586. The comparison images below shows the Sheikh Ajlin mosque on the Al Rasheed coastal road.

The top image is dated "older-10/19/2023".

The lower image is dated "older-4/3/2024."

(Image source: Airbus imagery on Google Earth.)

The Google Earth Help page has an explainer (archived here) regarding why some imagery is marked with a range of dates. The place labeled 'mosque" in the lower image would be unrecognizable if it were not for the minaret tower which has fallen diagonally across the rubble of the building.

A video (archived here) titled, "Sheikh Ajlin neighbourhood in western Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip was left in ruins" was published on YouTube by the Turkish state media outlet, Anadolu Agency, on Nov. 6, 2025. The toppled tower appears at the 00:24 mark. (pictured below).

(Image source: Anadolu English video on YouTube.)

Fact Check: Justin Bieber Did NOT Say Jim Carrey 'Died Of Kuru' After Years of Child Meat Parties in Hollywood -- Story Came From Prolific Fake News Site

2026-05-14T21:56:24Z

Did Justin Bieber say Jim Carrey "died of Kuru" (a rare disease linked to cannibalism), from eating child meat at Hollywood parties? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Bieber ever made the comments about Carrey. The viral article in which the quotes appear cites no sources and provides no recordings or documentation. The website that published the video is among the most prolific online publishers of fake news.

The claim originated in a May 13, 2026 article published by The People's Voice titled "Justin Bieber Reveals Jim Carrey "Died of Kuru" After Years of Child Meat Parties in Hollywood" (archived here) which opened:

Justin Bieber just declared war on Hollywood. He says the entertainment industry is built on ritual abuse, corruption, and the sacrifice of children in exchange for fame and power. And this isn't metaphor, performance art, or coded symbolism.

Users on social media only saw this title, description and thumbnail:

Justin Bieber Reveals Jim Carrey "Died of Kuru" After Years of Child Meat Parties in Hollywood

Justin Bieber just declared war on Hollywood. He says the entertainment industry is built on ritual abuse, corruption, and the sacrifice of children in exchange for fame and power. And this isn't metaphor, performance art, or coded symbolism.

This is what the image in the article looked like at the time of writing:

(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of post on ThePeoplesVoice.tv.)

Had Bieber claimed that Carrey "died of Kuru" after eating child meat at Hollywood parties, there would be extensive news coverage, considering the prominence of celebrities involved. Lead Stories searched Google (archived here) and Yahoo News (archived here) and found other versions of the same Peoples Voice claim, but none supplying evidence. Additionally, as of the time of publication, Lead Stories found no credible reporting of Jim Carrey's death.

The People's Voice

The People's Voice is among the most prolific online publishers of fake news. Articles on the site often link to and extensively quote stories from other sites to give an appearance of legitimacy, but the main claim in the headline and/or the first paragraph of each article is almost never supported by the sources that are offered. The site routinely makes up quotes from people or misrepresents scientific study results.

It originally started as YourNewsWire in 2014 and rebranded as NewsPunch in 2017. In 2023 it rebranded itself again to The People's Voice. The People's Voice/NewsPunch/YourNewsWire has published numerous fake news articles in the past, so anything that appears on the site should be taken with a large grain of salt. Its Facebook page, "The People's Voice", lost its verification checkmark, according to a 2018 report from Media Matters For America.

Fact Check: Video That Shows Doctors And Nurses In Masks And Protective Gear Does NOT Show Patient With Hantavirus -- It's From COVID 2020

2026-05-14T21:31:04Z

Does a video of doctors and nurses in masks and protective gear show medical professionals treating a hantavirus patient during the 2026 outbreak? No, that's not true: The video is from 2020 and shows doctors and nurses in Italy treating a patient with COVID-19. The video does not depict a patient with hantavirus in May 2026.

The claim appeared in a video posted on May 11, 2026, on Threads account @echoesofstreet (archived here). It opened:

A hantavirus patient being treated.

This is what the post looked like on Threads at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @echoesofstreet on Threads.)

The video was not published in May 2026 amid a hantavirus outbreak.

It was aired on the Italian talk show "Vita in Diretta" and published on their Instagram account @vitaindiretta (archived here) on Nov. 16, 2020. The caption read (translated by Google), "Thanks to Roberto Rotondo of TGR Piemonte, we are entering a sub-intensive care unit at the Amedeo di Savoia Hospital. Now on #lavitaindiretta," as this screenshot shows:

(Image source: post by @vitaindiretta on Instagram.)

Fact Check: Memo About 'Unidentified Humanoid' Is NOT Real Department Of War Document Released In Official UFO Files

2026-05-14T21:26:15Z

Is a memo about an "unidentified humanoid" a real Department of War document released with other "UFO files" in May 2026? No, that's not true: The document does not appear in the publicly available UFO files released by the Trump administration or the Department of War as of the time of publication. A search for "1994" in the files, the year of the alleged encounter, returned no results matching the document.

The claim appeared in a post and image (archived here) by the @PaulGoldEagle account on X on May 13, 2026. It read:

BREAKING DISCLOSURE 🚨 🚨

PENTAGON RELEASED DOCUMENT

Just so much, if all this is true, it's more than we could have dreamed of...
Here we go:

This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @PaulGoldEagle on X.)

The post appeared on social media less than a week after the Department of Defense (archived here) -- whose website was rebranded as war.gov under Secretary Pete Hegseth -- began releasing UFO files (archived here) on May 8, 2026.

Lead Stories searched the government UFO website for any incident in 1994 (archived here), but found no sign of the one described in the fake Jan. 14, 1994 report on X. The only report found described pilots' sighting of an unidentified flying object (archived here) over Kazakhstan on Jan. 27, 1994.

Signs of AI generation

Fake documents with large amounts of text do not provide enough visual information to determine whether they are AI-generated, but there are some clues.

The document is titled "Department of War." The Department of War (DOW) was established in 1789. Its name was officially changed to the Department of Defense (DOD) in 1947 after World War II. The DOW moniker was restored in 2025 by President Donald Trump, but only as a secondary title. Only Congress can officially change the name back to DOW, according to Encyclopedia Britannica (archived here).

On the alleged date of the document, Jan. 14, 1994, the agency was not called the DOW. At that time, it was known as the DOD.

The yellowed edges of the image and the specific fonts used are common tropes in digital art designed to resemble "leaked" government documents, but they are more typical of an earlier era. By the mid-1990s, word processors and personal computers had largely replaced typewriters in many offices. A document from that era would likely look very different from the one shown in the post.

Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Golden Trump Statue Covered In Toilet Paper And Trash

2026-05-14T21:10:02Z

Does a real photo show the golden Trump statue at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami covered in toilet paper and trash? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the statue was vandalized, and no credible news reports confirm that it happened. The image appears to be an alteration of a photograph that first appeared in the Palm Beach Post in late April 2026.

The claim appeared in a post and image (archived here) by the @jessmargera account on X on May 12, 2026. It read:

Within less than 24 hours, the trump statue (in the most republican heavy area of Florida) was covered in trash, shitty diapers, toilet paper and piss. Gerrymandering, Elons money, killing mail in ballots and armed guards at voting booths isn't going to make a fuck of difference.

This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @jessmargera on X.)

Side by Side

The fake image of the Trump statue covered in toilet paper and trash appears to be a modified version of a photo that first appeared in the Palm Beach Post (archived here) on April 28, 2026. When the images are put next to each other, the same clouds are in the sky (circled in red), the same buildings are in the background (circled in yellow), and the same palm branches are behind the statue (circled in blue):

(Image sources: Palm Beach Post and post by @jessmargera on X.)

Lead Stories searched Google News (archived here) and Yahoo News (archived here) and did not find any matching reports for the words: "Trump statue, toilet paper and trash." Had the Trump statue been vandalized, major news outlets would have widely reported it, as follow-up to widespread earlier coverage (archived here).

Fact Check: Posts Saying Boy George And Other Celebs Were Mocked And Denied Entry At Louis Vuitton For Dressing Too Casually Are NOT Real -- Spam From Vietnam

2026-05-14T18:47:51Z

Are social media posts claiming that a long list of celebrities were mocked and denied entry at a Louis Vuitton store for "dressing too casually" real? No, that's not true: None of the celebrities named in the posts made any such statement. The claims came from AI-generated Facebook posts produced by a spam operation managed from Vietnam.

Among the false posts Lead Stories found is a post (archived here) making the claim about Boy George shared by the "Rhythm Society" Facebook page on May 12, 2026. It opened:

BREAKING: Louis Vuitton Employees Mock Casual Dresser, Deny Entry Only 48 hours later, employees were stunned to learn that the casually dressed customer they had dismissed was Boy George. The iconic singer and cultural figure had reportedly visited the luxury store quietly, hoping to purchase a special surprise gift for his longtime partner.

This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:

(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu May 14 17:47:51 2026 UTC)

(Image source: Rhythm Society Facebook page)

The post continued:

As news of the incident spread, fans across the world reacted with disappointment and anger. Members of the entertainment industry and public figures quickly came forward to defend Boy George, highlighting his kindness, creativity, and lasting influence on music and culture.
The incident serves as a powerful reminder: respect should never be based on appearance, no matter how simple or casual someone may seem.

A Google search (archived here) for "Boy George Louis Vuitton employees mock casual dresser" returned no credible reporting that any such statement was made. It returned only links to the fake posts in this series.

Lead Stories searched Facebook to identify other fake posts in the series, including with a search (archived here) for the keywords "Louis Vuitton employees mock casual dresser deny entry 48 hours later stunned." The false posts named musicians, sports stars, actors, entertainers, authors, a comedian, a news host and a politician, including:

• Amanda Gorman
• Aaron Donald
• Alice Cooper
• Amber Marshall
• Ann Wilson
• Bette Midler
• Blanca Quiñonez
• Boy George
• CeeDee Lamb
• Cooper Flagg
• Derek Hough
• Dolly Parton
• Donovan Mitchell
• Ellen Pompeo
• Hannah Harper
• Hugh Laurie
• Ice Cube
• JJ Wetherholt
• Jalen Warley
• Jamal Roberts
• Jason Momoa
• Joanna Gaines
• Joe Rogan
• Josh Giddey
• Katie Hopkins
• Kevin Durant
• Kid Rock
• Lady Gaga
• Lenny Kravitz
• Madonna
• Malik Nabers
• Mark Carney
• Mark Wahlberg
• Myles Garrett
• Nicki Manaj
• Neil Diamond
• Neil Young
• Pharrell Williams
• Phil Collins
• Reese Witherspoon
• Riley Green
• Ron Howard
• Sandra Bullock
• Serena Williams
• Stephen King
• Stevie Nicks
• Trace Adkins
• Travis Hunter
• Travis Kelce
• Van Halen
• Wendy Williams
• Zooey Deschanel

(Image source: Facebook)

The image used in the Boy George post is AI-generated. The Hive Moderation AI content detection tool concluded with 99 percent confidence that the image was AI-generated.

(Image source: HiveModeration.com screenshot)

The "Rhythm Society" Facebook page transparency data (archived here) confirmed it is managed from Vietnam.

(Image source: Rhythm Society Facebook page)

The post links to an article (archived here) titled "Boy George Reportedly Deпied Eпtry at Loυis Vυittoп Store -- Faпs Oυtraged After Staff Discover His Ideпtity 48 Hoυrs Later." The article uses lookalike Cyrillic letters used in place of Latin letters, which may be an attempt to evade automated content moderation. The pop-up messages on the page are suspicious and care should be taken about clicking on them and unleashing malware.

(Image source: goldflow.daily24.world.)

The website's terms of service page (archived here) also confirmed it was produced from Vietnam.

(Image source: goldflow.daily24.world.)

Lead Stories has previously documented six of the Facebook pages amplifying the false claims as part of unrelated false claims from the same Vietnamese-managed operation. "Electric Stardom" appeared in a fact check here. "Loud Grace Society" appeared in fact checks here and here. "Nightfall Chronicles" appeared here. "Queen of Reinvention" appeared here. "Rhythm Society" appeared in fact checks here and here. "Rockers Unleashed" appeared here.

The Vietnam connection is significant, since fact-checkers, including Lead Stories, have identified a major source of AI-generated false stories coming from a single operation based in that Southeast Asian country. Recent reporting and fact checks mentioning that country are available here.

Lead Stories has published a primer -- or a prebunk -- on how to identify these kinds of fake posts exported from Vietnam. It is titled "Prebunk: Beware Of Fake Fan Pages Spreading False Stories About Your Favorite Celebrities -- How To Spot 'Viet Spam.'"

Fact Check: Image Of Trump Holding Up Frightened Little Girl Is Fake -- Manipulations Of Body Parts Are Obvious

2026-05-14T17:17:48Z

Does the viral image of President Donald Trump and a girl wearing traditional Chinese dress show a real-life scene? No, that's not true: The image was created with AI. It originated from a meme account, not an evidence-based content creator.

The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on May 13, 2026. The caption read:

This poor little girl. 😟

This is what the image shared in the post looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @EastEndJoe on X.)

The picture went viral during Trump's visit to China (archived here), but it was not authentic.

AI detection tool Hive Moderation said it was 99.9% likely that the image was generated using AI:

(Image source: Hive Moderation.)

Another tool, Sightengine, concluded there was a 99% chance the image was AI-generated:

(Image source: Sightengine.)

ZeroGPT also ruled that the image was not a real photo. According to ZeroGPT, the picture was "96% FAKE":

(Image source: ZeroGPT.)

Several clues in the image revealed it was probably generated using AI. For example, the faces of the people in the background appear unnaturally asymmetrical and slightly deformed:

(Image source: X.)

A larger version of the image (archived here) showed more people who were later cropped out. One of them had eyebrows growing out of the eyeglasses frame:

(Image source: Facebook.)

Another girl's face that was also absent from the later version of the picture appeared to be semi-transparent:

(Image source: Facebook.)

There are also multiple issues with people's hands. In one case, we see an anatomically incorrect dimple above the man's fingers; in another case, the shape of the woman's pointing finger cannot be explained by anything other than AI:

(Image source: Facebook.)

Finally, the stairs were not consistent in height, thus creating a safety issue that security teams are trained to avoid during high-profile meetings involving heads of state:

The account that initially posted the image had a self-description (archived here) that read:

Changing the world by any 'memes' necessary.

Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Enormous Whale Breaching, Swamping Workers With A Wave -- It's AI

2026-05-13T23:49:50Z

Does a real video show an enormous whale breaching near the deck of a ship, swamping the crew with a giant wave? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated and contains unrealistic glitches in the whale's anatomy, notably the area of ventral grooves on the whale's throat. The detection tool at Hive Moderation determined with 99.9% confidence that the video was AI-generated.

The video was published in a post (archived here) on X by @Naa_Hayo on May 12, 2026. It was captioned:

OMG 😱 😳

This is a screenshot of the video:

(Image source: @Naa_Hayo post on X.)

Lead Stories uploaded the video to the detection tool at Hive Moderation. The video was rated 99.9% likely to have been AI-generated (pictured below).

(Image source: Hive Moderation.)

A reverse image search with Google Lens pointed to many duplicate copies of the video but not to a clear source of origin. One copy of the video was published on Instagram by @darkriders_io on Feb. 24, 2026 (archived here). The post's caption (reproduced as written) seems to be an AI-generated description of the scene:

This viral post features an AI-generated video of a massive rogue wave slamming into a cargo ship's deck, where workers in orange suits scramble in panic, but the vessel miraculously stays afloat, amassing over 10 million views in under a day.
The footage, while hyper-realistic, shows telltale AI flaws like striped wave textures and inconsistent lighting, sparking widespread replies calling it fake and underscoring 2026's advancing deepfake tech that fools casual viewers.
, a Japanese content curator focused on news and entertainment, it quotes their earlier clip of a sailor's scream, amplifying shock value to engage audiences on nature's raw power versus human fragility. #explorepage #explore #fyp #technology #knowledge

A glitch visible at five seconds in the video (pictured below) shows the whale's throat covered with ventral grooves seeming to fold over on themselves without displaying the characteristic expansion and contraction of the accordion-like anatomy (archived here). There is also an unrealistic smooth area separating that flap of folded grooves at the throat from a row of grooves pictured running along the whale's flank. Another glitch in the AI-generated video is the small white dots that appear and become more numerous across the whale's dark dorsal surface as it comes into view.

(Image source: @Naa_Hayo post on X.)

Fact Check: Parody Post Said Mariah Carey Told Justin Bieber Off About Diddy Parties -- Not Real News

2026-05-13T22:31:30Z

Did Mariah Carey make a rude comment aimed at Justin Bieber, saying, "At least I never attended any Diddy parties"? No, that's not true: The account that posted the quote is a parody account. There are no news reports of Carey making the comment about Bieber attending parties hosted by Sean "Diddy" Combs, the music mogul convicted of prostitution-related felonies.

The claim appeared in a May 12, 2026, post on X.com account @HoopsCrave (archived here). It opened:

Mariah Carey fires back at Justin Bieber:
"At least I never attended any Diddy parties."

This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:

(Image source: post by @HoopsCrave on X.)

The @HoopsCrave account bio on X states that it is a parody account, as this screenshot shows:

(Image source: @HoopsCrave on X.)

The post cites no source for the quote from Carey. Had the singer made such a shocking comment about Bieber it would have been major news. Lead Stories searched Google (archived here) and Yahoo! News (archived here) and found other social media posts with the quote but not any legitimate news outlets reporting Carey took a dig at Bieber about attending Diddy parties.

Combs is serving a 50-month prison sentence after he was found guilty of transporting people across state lines for the purpose of prostitution (archived here). He was accused of having "Freak Off" parties before his conviction; the Department of Justice described them in his indictment, (archived here):

COMBS then used force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that COMBS referred to as, among other things, "Freak Offs." Freak Offs were elaborate and produced sex performances that COMBS arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded.