By Lauren Giella
Senior Reporter
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Actress Megan Fox recently was trending on Twitter after claims that she was an anti-masker circulated on the internet.
The Claim
A screenshot of an alleged Instagram post by Fox went viral on Twitter. The post seemed to be a response to claims that Fox took maskless photos with fans.
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"I noticed comments on social media questioning my decision to 'not wear a mask' in public," the post read. "While I appreciate the concern of my fans and others, it is ultimately my decision to trust the universe to keep me and my family safe. We are okay."
"The fans I met did not have any issues and if they did, I would have gladly given them space or put one on since I always carry one with me for the comfort of other people. Ultimately, I do not think bullying is the way to go about this. Please respect our beliefs, values, privacy."
The Facts
The now-suspended Twitter account Pop Arts shared a post on February 19 with a screenshot of the post next to a photo of Fox holding masks in her hand at LAX airport in Los Angeles with boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly.
While some people were quick to judge Fox online, fans called out the account for spreading misinformation.
The photo of Fox was from a trip the couple took in June 2020 in which they were not wearing face masks in the airport but carried them in hand, according to the U.S. Sun.
Pop culture news account Pop Crave later posted on Twitter that the screenshot was fake and the image was Photoshopped using one of Fox's old Instagram posts.
The fake post's caption reads "How can we expect to receive blessings in our lives when we are the authors of others suffering? Stop slandering. Stop bullying, #StayPostive #BeBlessed."
The caption matches one from 2014 when Fox posted a graphic that said, "A hateful journey cannot have a peaceful end."
Fox responded to the controversy on her Instagram story the same day.
"I've never made any statements regarding wearing masks," she wrote. "Scary that you can go viral and possibly be socially crucified for something you haven't done."
It is unclear who made the fake screenshot.
The Ruling
False.
The post shared online was fake. Fox said she never posted about wearing, or not wearing, masks.
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