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| - Last Updated on September 25, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
Social media is full of posts falsely claiming that a picture shows world’s darkest baby. Our fact-check confirms it is False.
The Claim
Several years later after being published, a picture claiming to depict the world’s tiniest and darkest baby has resurfaced online. A Facebook post shares a collage of a few photographs with the caption, “Tiniest and darkest baby in the world.”
A screenshot of the post has been attached below:
Fact Check
Is the picture being shared of a real baby?
No. There is no evidence to prove that the baby is a real one. The photo doesn’t depict human baby but a handcrafted doll by sculptor Lilah Pearson. In fact, a picture of a baby with very dark skin has been circulating online for several years with the claim of being “world’s darkest baby.” However, this claim is false.
In reality, the picture is actually of a doll sculpted by US artist Lilah Pearson. The doll was first posted on Pearson’s website “Breath of Heaven”, which is a doll boutique in 2015. A similar photo of the doll is available on her Instagram page even now. The doll has similar hands and hair to the one in the article, but as it is a one-of-a-kind doll, there are some differences. For example, the outfit and the expression of the mouth are somewhat different.
A Google reverse image search of the picture took us to similar blog articles in multiple languages of a baby that allegedly holds the record as the world’s darkest or blackest baby. Also, there are a few links which also display dolls. Most of these claims date back to 2015. In fact, a similar picture as seen in the claim is available on an e-commerce website selling a baby gorilla monkey.
Additionally, on checking for the same on Google Fact Check Explorer, we were able to find several other fact-checking websites depicting either the same or a similar picture stating that it is a doll and not a baby.
While exploring the realm of viral misinformation, it’s important to consider how other recent claims, like the one surrounding Madonna’s death, have also captured public attention. Understanding the nature of these sensational stories can help us navigate the truth behind social media narratives.
Hence, the claim is false and misleading with clickbait headlines for several years. Social media posts can indeed be misleading. With the rise of social media platforms and the ease of sharing information online, it has become increasingly common to mislead or circulate false info. We have previously discussed the impact of social media in another fact check whether you should perform CPR by watching social media videos.
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