Harry Potter is not in the hospital wing with coronavirus.
As the number of cases continues to grow, false claims about notable figures and celebrities contracting the virus are circulating on social media.
The latest one comes by way of a now-deleted tweet from a fake BBC Twitter account, which claimed that actor Daniel Radcliffe, known for his portrayal of Harry Potter in eight films, had become the “first famous person” to test positive for the coronavirus.
The tweet 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.)
The Twitter account, @BBCNewsTonight, is not affiliated with the British Broadcasting Co. and appears to have been suspended.
The tweet provided a link for users to learn “more information.” That led to a genuine BBC news alert page, but one that hasn’t been updated since 2017 and has nothing to do with Radcliffe or his fake diagnosis.
The actor’s publicist also told Buzzfeed News the rumor was “not true.”
Still, the tweet fooled users before it was deleted, including New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who later apologized on Twitter for sharing the false claim.
The Boy Who Lived does not have the coronavirus. Obliviate this from your memories.
Pants on Fire!
Truth-o-meter Ruling
IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT
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Actor Daniel Radcliffe does not have the coronavirus.
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A fake BBC Twitter account spread the claim before the tweet was removed and the account suspended from the platform.
Statement
Context
in a tweetSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Archive.is, Tweet, March 10, 2020
BBC, News Alerts, Accessed March 11, 2020
Snopes, Does Daniel Radcliffe have Coronavirus?, March 10, 2020
Buzzfeed News, No, Daniel Radcliffe Doesn't Have Coronavirus, March 10, 2020
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