Yahoo Movies Fact check: Altered image shows Sylvester Stallone with T-shirt message mocking Biden, Fauci
The claim: Image shows Sylvester Stallone wearing T-shirt with message against COVID-19 vaccines, President Biden and Dr. Fauci
Social media users have shared an image of actor Sylvester Stallone wearing a T-shirt with a message that mocks President Joe Biden and his top health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, among others.
"There are 4 useless things in this world: a woke person, COVID vaccine, Anthony Fauci & Joe Biden," reads the purported text.
The image was posted on Facebook on Jan. 12. A similar version was shared on Twitter, where it gathered more than 1,000 interactions within a day.
"I knew I loved this guy for a reason, one of the few I am not disappointed in," reads the caption of a Jan. 13 tweet.
But the image has been altered. The original photo, taken in 2018, predates the COVID-19 pandemic and features Stallone dressed in a plain T-shirt.
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USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the image for comment.
Image is from 2018
The image shared on social media has a Shutterstock watermark, but the original photo shows a plain T-shirt.
"Sylvester Stallone out and about," reads the caption of the June 28, 2018, Shutterstock image taken in Los Angeles.
Additional images from that day show the T-shirt has no slogan or symbols.
Fact check: Altered image claims to show Ben Affleck wearing anti-Trump T-shirt
Getty Images photos also show the unadorned shirt.
USA TODAY has previously debunked altered images showing figures such as Mike Tyson and Chris Evans wearing shirts with purported messages.
Our rating: Altered
Based on our research, we rate ALTERED an image that purports to show Stallone wearing a T-shirt with a message against COVID-19 vaccines, Biden and Fauci. The original image is from 2018, which predates the COVID-19 pandemic, and shows the actor in a plain T-shirt.
Our fact-check sources:
Shutterstock, June 28, 2018, Sylvester Stallone out and about
Shutterstock, June 28, 2018, Sylvester Stallone
Shutterstock, June 28, 2018, Sylvester Stallone in Los Angeles
Getty Images, June 28, 2018, Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles
Getty Images, June 28, 2018, Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles
USA TODAY, June 30, 2021, Fact check: An altered photo shows Mike Tyson wearing an anti-vaccination T-shirt
USA TODAY, Sept. 17, 2021, Fact check: Photo of Chris Evans in 'Keep America Trumpless' T-shirt is altered
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Sylvester Stallone T-shirt image mocking Biden is altered
