Viral image
Viral image
stated on February 20, 2020 in a Facebook post:

Says “The Simpsons” predicted the coronavirus.

Pants on Fire!

D’oh, ‘The Simpsons’ didn’t predict the coronavirus

If your time is short

  • An image from the show was altered to read "corona virus."
  • The image originally said "apocalypse meow."
 
See the sources for this fact-check

“The Simpsons,” Fox’s long-running, animated TV show, has famously predicted the future on several occasions. In season 11, for example, President Lisa Simpson has inherited a “budget crunch from President Trump.” 

But what about the coronavirus? A Feb. 20 Facebook post appears to show stills from a 1993 episode of the show in which both Homer Simpson and Principal Skinner are sick; another image shows a broadcaster reading off a piece of paper while the words “corona virus” and a cat appear on a screen behind him. 

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) 

Most of the images are actually from an episode about the “Osaka flu” — a factory employee coughs into a package bound for Homer back in Springfield and he gets sick.  

But the image of the cat behind the broadcaster seems to have been altered from how it originally appeared in an episode about “housecat flu.” On the show, the text doesn’t say “corona virus” but “apocalypse meow.” 

Eat our shorts: We rate this Facebook post Pants on Fire.

 
Our Sources

Facebook post, Feb. 20, 2020

Business Insider, 18 times ‘The Simpsons’ accurately predicted the future, Feb. 3, 2020

The Hollywood Reporter, ‘The Simpsons’: 30 times the Fox comedy successfully predicted the future, Sept, 28, 2018

YouTube, Osaka flu hits Springfield, Nov. 12, 2018

YouTube, Housecat flu, Nov. 22, 2010

D’oh, ‘The Simpsons’ didn’t predict the coronavirus

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed


Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino