Times The Press Gave Us Fake News On Celebs

From celebrity death hoaxes to relationship troubles and fake pregnancies, several tabloids are found guilty on the publication of fake stories. Integrity and honesty are sacrificed for the sake of gossip, but most importantly, for the sake of money and the number of clicks competitive magazines would get for their luring “insider exclusives”!

These click-baiting stories can be sometimes seriously scaring, and as we will later find out, fans were left distraught by phoney news throughout the years; the fake publications mostly involve not only pure lies, but shameless claims that the acquired information comes through an “insider”, usually a friend, or even a family member of the celebrity.

Let’s find out then some of these fake stories which made it to the front pages of popular tabloids and celebrity websites, and managed to upset both the public and the protagonists themselves. 

One thing is for sure: we always need to double-check our sources, as not everything we read from the celebrity sphere is to be trusted! 

Matthew Perry Has Months To Live

It is known that the favourite Friends actor has suffered from drug and alcohol addiction, and he has found himself in and out of rehab several times. One tabloid publication, however, took it too far; as it claimed that the actor had only six months to live, due to his inability to recover from addiction. 

This conclusion was based on the actor’s weight gain and his overall “unkempt” appearance. 

According to tabloids, the information was given from an “insider” who told them that not only the actor returned to his old habits of pills and alcohol abuse, but according to sources, he even fell into a deep depression. 

To make matters worse, the article claimed that Perry had been ignoring phone calls from his Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox, who only wanted to help him through his struggle.

Luckily, Perry’s spokesperson spoke out and revealed that this story was a complete sham and the actor is safe and sound. 

According to Matthew Perry’s spokesperson, not only the actor managed to keep himself away from drugs, but he also helped other addicts to recover, and he was even involved in supporting court drug cases.

Justin Timberlake And Britney Spears Killed In A Car Accident

Who doesn’t remember the 2000s frenzy for this super-popular couple? It was like the “Brangelina” of the time and they both counted millions of fans across the globe. 

We only need to imagine the reaction of their fans, but also the reaction of their friends and family, when a radio station, in Texas, announced that the couple was killed in a car accident.

The two radio DJs announced the tragic news in 2001, but it was later discovered that it was a hoax, which left the two DJs jobless, as they were immediately fired. 

Timberlake admitted in a popular news network that both singers received worried phone calls from their families, as they could not believe what they had just heard.

It is unbelievable how the media feels that it has the right to fabricate such scary stories, particularly death hoaxes, which leave people heavily affected and upset; unfortunately, sometimes things are not thought through twice.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin: Marriage Problems

Ominous dark clouds were reported to be gathering in the clear blue sky of the newly married couple Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber last March, but Baldwin debunked the fake news through a story on her Instagram account. 

According to allegations made by a popular magazine, the couple was facing “trust issues”, and their relationship seemed to be on rocky grounds, as Bieber continued to struggle with depression.

Baldwin prompted her fans not to trust everything they read on the internet, clearly stating that the circulated story about their marriage troubles was fake news. Despite Bieber being very vocal and open about his mental issues, the couple continues to be strong and supportive of each other. 

Through an Instagram post, Bieber admitted that he is struggling with depression, but he feels positive about the progress he has made. According to a real insider, his wife feels proud of the fact that Bieber has opened up about his emotional struggles, stating that she now loves him even more.

Baldwin went on to claim that plans to be fully supportive to him, the way that Bieber has been supportive of her, in the past, when Baldwin shared her anxiety struggle.

Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton: Secret Marriage And Pregnancy

Gossip was circulating in May 2018 about a bun in the oven for No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani and The Voice judge, Blake Shelton. This is not the first time pregnancy rumours have emerged, since the couple started dating back in 2015. 

This time, the baby was deemed as the “miracle baby”, due to Gwen Stefani’s 49 years of age.

The popular celebrity tabloid justified its fake news by citing an appearance of the singer in loose clothes in Beverly Hills, as an attempt to hide her “baby bump”. 

To continue with the insane justifications, the tabloid claimed that the information was acquired by a very reliable source, as Gwen Stefani’s best friend was the one to have revealed that the couple has been trying for a baby for some time.

What is more, according to their “trustworthy” source, the couple was spending millions on a series of IVF treatments and was also planning their secret wedding, during a period of six months.

All these detailed accounts about the couple’s wedding and pregnancy proved to be a non-other but a fabricated story, which makes us wonder: Couldn’t the tabloid hold back, at least on the details, and save itself from total embarrassment?

George Clooney Running For President

George Clooney, without a shred of doubt, would make a good president, or at least that’s what some tabloids seem to believe, as they bring back to surface the fake-old story that the famous actor is eyeing the White House.

Last June a report claimed that Clooney was encouraged by some of his celebrity friends, one of them being Julia Roberts, to run for president.

The rumours re-emerged recently in July 2019, due to Barack Obama’s visit to Clooney’s villa in Lake Como, Italy. According to the tabloid, Obama wants Clooney to run for president, and this time the Catch 22 actor appears to be more eager to sit in the elected office, due to the birth of his twins, and his wish to make America and the world great again, for his two children. 

The tabloid also cited that Clooney had been considering to run for US president, as he is greatly affected by the work of his wife, Amal Alamuddin, who is a human rights attorney.

Despite the tabloid’s false allegations that Barack Obama wants Clooney to challenge Donald Trump in the elections of 2020, we know that this is all false, as the actor has no political aspirations. 

He clearly stated in an interview in 2017 that he disagrees with celebrities becoming presidents and that the presidential chair is for people who know how to deal with politics. 

Matt Damon Is Moving To Australia Because Of Donald Trump’s Presidency

We can guess that Donald Trump is not America’s favourite, but could Matt Damon abandon the US and Hollywood because of him? 

According to an Australian popular newspaper, that’s what the Jason Bourne star was up to; the newspaper claimed that Damon was planning to buy a house next to his co-star in Thor: Ragnarok Chris Hemsworth, to move with his wife and four daughters to Byron Bay, Australia. 

It is known that Damon openly supported Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 elections and he never wanted to see Trump be elected as president, nor he ever agreed with his policies. 

However, the actor’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Allen, put an end to the rumours of Damon’s relocation to Australia, even though he frequently travels there.

She confirmed that Matt Damon and his family are not leaving the US and that Damon will put up with Mr Trump’s power games, but he would never abandon his homeland because of him.   

Dying Cher: A Miracle Recovery

In August 2018 rumours emerged that Cher was critically ill and she was close to death, due to a mysterious virus which destroyed the singer’s kidneys. The rumours were spread by a celebrity tabloid which led Cher to death’s door. 

It wasn’t long before the singer revealed that she was healthy enough to star in Mamma Mia sequel.

The tabloid attempted to justify the false story by claiming that the Believe singer was practically resurrected (!) from her deathbed, as she followed a new experimental treatment, which entailed blood transfusions. 

The “miracle cure” was further described as “revolutionary”, and the last resort for Cher’s recovery.

In a malicious attempt to mislead readers, the tabloid included a statement by Cher made in 2008, a whole decade before the newly published story, where the singer was talking about the Epstein-Barr virus with which she first struggled during the 1980s. 

The out-of-context statement and Cher’s good health were confirmed by her spokesperson, who reassured the singer’s fans that there’s no reason to be afraid for the star’s well-being. 

Sylvester Stallone Is Dead

Another celebrity death hoax has shocked fans around the world in 2018. The Rocky star woke up one morning just to find out reports about his supposed death spreading on social media. 

The rumour of Stallone’s death started overnight, completed by fake pictures circulating, which depicted the actor in his “final days”. The 73-year-old actor jumped to reassure his mourning fans that he is alive and well, as soon as he found out about the prank.

Stallone appeared to be enraged about the incident, as he pleaded the public to “ignore this stupidity”, and that he is “alive and well and happy and healthy”, and also that he is “still punching”! 

This last reassurance may have been a hint to the pranksters, as it insinuated that Stallone would not hesitate to throw some punches across their way, if they had ever come face to face with the star, as for the actor, news about death is no joke.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Children: Older Brother Maddox Wants Legal Guardianship

It has been three years since the divorce that shook Hollywood, but still, the popular actors did not reach an agreement in regards to the custody of their children. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are in-and-out of courtrooms, as they did not finalize their divorce and their children do not yet have an appointed legal guardian.

According to a celebrity tabloid, the eldest of Pitt and Jolie’s children, Maddox, who is turning 18 in August 2019, wants to seek legal guardianship of his five siblings. Supposedly, Maddox cannot stand his parents’ legal fight, and he recognises the negative effects this battle may have on his younger siblings. 

For this reason, the soon-to-be legal adult wants to protect the children and he is ready for the difficult, “huge step” of the guardianship.

The story, however, proves to be phoney, as Maddox is now preparing to attend a college, on a full-time basis, and that would make it impossible for him to care for his siblings. 

Further, if he wants to be the legal guardian he would also need to prove to the court that both his parents are incompetent to care for the children. 

Anne Hathaway: “White People Are Inherently Evil”

Following the tragic news of the murder of Nia Wilson, an 18-year old black woman by a 27-year old white man in California last June, The Princess Diaries actress felt like expressing her anger about the situation and her sorrow for the victim. 

She did so by posting on her Instagram account and making reference to the “white privilege” and she accused white people of maintaining a condescending attitude towards minority-oriented violence, and was also blaming “the lack of action” by white people, including herself, to prevent these incidents. 

A celebrity website, however, changed Hathaway’s actual words and claimed that the actress said that “all white people are inherently evil”.

This misinformation caused a stir to the public and people were commenting for days on whether Hathaway wrote the controversial statement. The actress did not respond to any of the allegations and criticism she received, but her spokesperson redirected people back to her original Instagram post, where everyone can see what she wrote! 

Katie Holmes Demands To Get Pregnant By Jamie Foxx

Katie Holmes is demanding to have a child with her partner, Jamie Foxx and if pregnancy doesn’t show up soon, the actress is threatening to dump him. 

Funnily enough, this is the fake story circulating, from a celebrity magazine, which claims that Holmes is ready to upgrade her romance with Foxx and have a child with him, by the tight deadline of “early 2020”.

An unidentified “insider” reveals that Holmes is desperate to have a child, for her daughter Suri to have a baby brother or sister, but the claims also indicate that now is the right time for their relationship to take the next level.

This is because Jamie Foxx is no longer interested in other women and he feels ready to become “the father of her child”. 

The fictitious revelations have nothing to do with reality, as Katie Holmes’ representatives confirmed that neither the actress gave a pregnancy “ultimatum” to Foxx, nor she will leave him if she doesn’t get pregnant. 

On the contrary, the couple’s relationship seems to be “unconventional”, carefree, and they see each other only if they have an empty slot on their busy schedules!

Lady Gaga Moves In With Bradley Cooper

We are all waiting to find out more about Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s relationship, and thanks to some celebrity tabloids, we can now gain access into some seriously spicy details. 

According to a tabloid, Lady Gaga has already moved into Cooper’s New York house. A supposed “insider” claims that Cooper prepared the house for Gaga by making space in the closet for her to bring clothes and get cosy.

According to the magazine, Copper is one happy chap, as he doesn’t even seem to need time to grieve for his split with Irina Shayk, as he is ready to begin a new life with his A Star Is Born co-star. 

That sounds like a good story for fans who want to see the on-screen couple together in real life, but the truth is no woman has moved into Cooper’s house since Shayk moved out. The tabloid went too far with the sham, by claiming that Lady Gaga even put her personal touch in house decorations. 

Cooper and Gaga’s relationship has some good-fiction potential and we can’t wait for the phoney stories these magazines will come up with!

Richard Gere And The Gerbil

This is a more-than-20-year-old rumour, but it needs to be included in this list as one of the weirdest phoney stories the press gave us about a celebrity. 

According to this piece of “news” back in 1995, Richard Gere was admitted into a Los Angeles hospital emergency room, due to a “foreign object lodged in his rectum”, which was said to be a gerbil (!). 

The actor was accompanied by a special friend; rumour has it, the 90s top model Cindy Crawford was with the actor, and their sexual games became a little bit more unconventional, which had, as a result, Gere’s accident.

Not only had the information about Gere’s admission into hospital leaked, but details such as the situation of the animal extracted by the actor’s body were revealed, as doctors failed to keep the promise of secrecy and confidentiality. 

Richard Gere never admitted this incident happened, nor he refused it, as he hasn’t talked much about it.

Whatever happened, this story must have been some sizzling news back then! 

Romance For Robert Pattinson And Margot Robbie

A new Hollywood romance was reported to be blooming between Robert Pattinson and Margot Robbie, as the two actors are about to start to the upcoming Batman movies franchise. 

According to reports, Pattinson and Robbie met to discuss their participation in the DC Universe as Batman and Harley Quinn respectively, and this meeting left them both infatuated with each other. 

An unidentified source claimed that the actors were discussing their common “future” in the franchise and analysed the development of their roles in Batman and Birds of Prey, leading them forming a bond within a flirtatious atmosphere.

The report appears to ignore the fact that Robbie is married to Tom Ackerley and there was never a hint about any marriage problems between the two. 

The report also ignores that Pattinson is dating Suki Waterhouse for the past year. 

Perhaps it was a movie promotion attempt by the magazine! 

Angelina Jolie And Keanu Reeves Dating

Another Hollywood romance is supposedly uncovered by the sleepless reporters of a tabloid, who work day and night to bring secret affairs in the light of publicity. 

This time Angelina Jolie is said to be dating Keanu Reeves since she and her children moved next to the house of the actor’s mother in Los Angeles. The story broke out in October 2018, and the tabloid also claimed that the actors secretly travelled to a secluded Greek island for a romantic escape. 

According to the report, the John Wick star has developed a good relationship with Jolie’s six children, and the actor’s mother is wishing the best for her son, in regards to his relationship with Jolie. 

The outrageous detail in this phoney story is that Angelina Jolie carefully planned to pursue Keanu Reeves, as she wanted him to participate in her new Marvel movie, The Eternals, aiming to date him while they would work together. 

Spokespersons from both sides denied the rumours and confirmed that they’re merely fantasy fabrications.