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| - According to an online rumor that emerged in mid-January 2025, actor Denzel Washington donated $50 million to help victims of wildfires that caused significant property destruction in the Los Angeles area.
(X user @Rio_To_Mars)
Examples of the rumor appeared on social media platforms including X (archived) and Threads (archived).
However, the claim about Washington was false, a representative for the actor confirmed via email.
Furthermore, there was no credible media coverage of the alleged donation. If Washington had announced the contribution, reputable news outlets would have reported on it.
Some social media posts (archived) with the false rumor linked (archived) to articles on websites USAtoss (archived) and USAboomin (archived). The articles contained some identical passages, including the following alleged quote from Washington:
I am heartbroken by the destruction I've seen in my beloved Hollywood. I know these are trying times, but I want to assure you all that I will personally be there for those still without homes. Everyone, stay calm—I'm here to help.
The quote was not real, however. According to AI text detectors ZeroGPT, GPTZero, and Quillbot, both articles had a high probability of having been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) software.
The rumor emerged amid real reports about numerous celebrities, including Beyoncé (through her organization BeyGOOD), Jamie Lee Curtis, and Paris Hilton, contributing money to help people affected by the fires. Many of those celebrities announced their donations through official social media accounts, and credible news outlets reported on the gifts.
Washington was not the only celebrity target of rumors about wildfire relief efforts. Previously, we investigated a similar claim that pop star Taylor Swift donated $10 million, coming up short of any evidence to substantiate the assertion.
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