FAKE NEWS: Oprah IS NOT involved in sex trafficking ring
Oprah Winfrey has recently had to put out the flames of a rumour that she has been detained for sex trafficking after her home was raided by police.
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Oprah Winfrey has recently had to put out the flames of a rumour that she has been detained for sex trafficking after her home was raided by police.
Oprah Winfrey has recently had to put out the flames of a rumour that she has been detained for sex trafficking after her home was raided by police, according to Newsweek.
The fake report that has since gone viral claimed that the media mogul was arrested in her Boca Raton, Florida home on Tuesday night. The story quickly became one of the top trending stories on Twitter by Wednesday morning.
There was also a false video posted that showed police raiding the celebrities home which judging by the footage, Orpah isn't as well off as one might think.
The fake report went on to say her house had been cordoned off by authorities while they were excavating for underground tunnels. The story also implicated other celebrities like Celine Dion, Madonna, Charles Barkley and Kevin Spacey.
Once informed of the rumour flying around Oprah, 66, used her verified Twitter account to refute the false allegations.
"Just got a phone call that my name is trending. And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. It's NOT TRUE. Haven't been raided, or arrested. Just sanitizing and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody," she tweeted.
Just got a phone call that my name is trending. And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. It’s NOT TRUE. Haven’t been raided, or arrested. Just sanitizing and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody.??
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah)
The false report was also accompanied by a video in which a purported news reporter said that her house had been cordoned off by authorities and was being excavated for underground tunnels.
The fabricated report also implicated other celebrities such as Celine Dion, Madonna, Charles Barkley and Kevin Spacey.
The story is believed to have been started by QAnon, an online conspiracy theory group known to have made up similar stories in the past. Many people are linking rapid spread of the fake rumour to people being cooped up in their homes in light of coronavirus.
A flurry of people quickly responded with their take on the fake news story via Twitter.
Andy Lassner, executive producer for The Ellen Show wrote, "The staggering amount of people believing a 100% fake story about Oprah doesn't make me feel good about the chances of society continuing."
The staggering amount of people believing a 100% fake story about Oprah doesn’t make me feel good about the chances of society continuing
— andy lassner (@andylassner)
One user, Respectable Lawyer tweeted about footage of the supposed raid on the multi-millionaire Oprah's house looked a bit off, writing that she, "apparently lives in a $30k bungalow in west Detroit."
He also posted what he claimed was body cam footage of the raid on Oprah's house, and apparently she lives in a $30k bungalow in west Detroit. pic.twitter.com/0VBJlGXYQV
— Respectable Lawyer (@RespectableLaw)
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