Photo of Don Lemon and Jeffrey Epstein is doctored
If your time is short
- A photo of CNN anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo was altered to look like Lemon is posing with Jeffrey Epstein.
If you’re going to use a photo to try to tie someone to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and sex offender, don’t use a doctored one.
“Hmmm @donlemoncnn,” reads a recent Instagram post that shows an image of what looks like Epstein posing for the camera with his arm around CNN anchor Don Lemon. “You really want us to be sympathetic to pedophiles, huh? I wonder why?”
The post then lists several hashtags linked to the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory that politicians and celebrities are involved in a global child-sex trafficking ring.
It 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.)
RELATED: What is QAnon, the baseless conspiracy spilling into US politics?
Lemon would likely recognize the image was altered because he posted the original from his Instagram account a few weeks earlier. This photo shows another CNN anchor, Chris Cuomo, with his arm around Lemon.
“Time flies,” Lemon wrote. “Young & skinny @chriscuomo & yours truly. December 13, 2013. #tbt #bromance #neverforget.”
Cuomo replied in the comments.
“No joke,” he said. “Time has not been kind, nor has what came with it. In part, I have aged from carrying you on my back! 🙂 LOVE YOU, D Lemon.”
The photo of Lemon and Epstein is fake.
We rate that post Pants on Fire.
