Entertainment January 15, 2017
Sandro Monetti
Fake news is very much in the headlines at the moment, largely thanks to Donald Trump. But the internet has been playing this game for years.
Conspiracy theories passed off as fact by passionate believers who won’t let the truth get in the way of a good story have led to some wild, unverifiedreports about celebrities.
Here ENTITY assembles five of the most popularconspiracy stories which continue to get lots of attention on the web despite their crazy nature.
1 Beyonc is Solange’s mother, not her sister.
This one gathered steamafter Beyoncé’s dad Matthew made some seemingly contradictory statements abouthis daughter’s age, a likely fake birth certificate emerged from 1974 and actress Gabrielle Union said she and Beyhad been friends “since wewere teenagers” –even though she’s officiallynine years older than the pop star.
The theory goes that Bey is actually much older than everyone thinks, gave birth to Solange as young as13 and in order not to hurt her aspiring music career, her parents Matthew and Tina passed off the girl as their own child rather than hers. Officially, Beyoncé is 35 and Solange 30.
READ MORE:Solange Knowles Slays With New Album ‘A Seat at the Table’
2 Stevie Wonder is not really blind
Stevie Wonder in 1974, Detroit Michigan. #steviewonder
A photo posted by Stevie Wonder ?? (@steviewonderfan) on
During a 2010 performance at the White House, the blind singer instinctively caught a microphone stand dropped by Paul McCartney. That was all the evidence conspiracy theorists on the web needed to conclude the star had been faking his loss of sight.
stevie wonder isn’t really blind i saw him wearing a watch
— MOTHMAN (@sneesnoo) October 26, 2016
But medical evidence has shown blind people often have heightened other senses and that could have easily explained the miraculous catch.
3 Avril Lavigne has been replaced by a double.
This one just won’t go away and claims that Avril killed herself after the success of her first album, “Let Go,”and was replaced by a double to keep the brand and the career alive. However, theorists say the doppelganger, supposedly named Melissa Vandella,has a different nose and teeth, a higher voice and is shorter in height than the original.
Avril Lavigne was killed in 2003 and replaced by an actress named Melissa Vandella.
See AlsoEating For Two? Beyonce’s $1k Feast In Ireland — 28 Whole Chickens, 10 Sides Of Corn - FamousFix— austin!! (@kawaiiaustin) November 14, 2016
Sheeple are deep under a spell if they can’t see the name Avril lavigne is now Melissa vandella.a lookalike who had surgery.
— Paul Tething (@paul_tething) October 16, 2016
Ah clone conspiracy theorists, why do you have to go and make things so “Complicated?”
4 Britney Spears’ meltdown was a stunt by the Bush administration
The headline hitting antics of Britney Spears in 2007, which ranged from shaving her head to being locked up in a psych ward, were all carefully staged by George W. Bush’s administration in a “Toxic” plan designed to distract from extra media scrutiny of W’s policy struggles and scandals at the time, according to the blog Idolator and the many others who shared the unlikely theory.
READ MORE:New Britney Spears Biopic Is Driving the B Army ‘Crazy’
5 Keanu Reeves is immortal.
This theory is so popular it even has its own website, keanuisimmortal.com. The idea is that the star of “The Matrix” has lived countlesslives under many identities, including the Roman emperor Charlemagne, and gets sad so often because so many of his friends have died down the years.
100% sure Keanu Reeves is actually immortal.
— Lima حليمه (@Fashionicide) January 3, 2017
Keanu Reeves is Charlemagne .. it all makes sense now!! #immortal
— sb (@scottboIinger) January 4, 2012
So next time you hear about unverified reportsthatappearcompletely unbelievable, reflect on these fivestories and remember that the internet has served up some even stranger tall tales in the past.
Sandro Monetti An award-winning British journalist based in Los Angeles, he is a weekly CNN contributor, cohosts BBC Radio’s Oscar coverage each year, was managing editor of the LA Business Journal and the most nominated reporter at the recent national arts and entertainment journalism awards. He has interviewed Hollywood greats like Sylvester Stallone, Al Pacino and George Clooney, to name a few. At the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Los Angeles, he mentors emerging talent by chairing BAFTA LA’s Newcomers program, and is the author of bestselling books Colin Firth: The Man Who Would Be King and Mickey Rourke: Wrestling with Demons.An entertainer as well as an entrepreneur, Sandro has written, produced and directed three different stage plays which have been hits around the world including Off Broadway in New York and in London’s West End. View all posts
