When you’re a celebrity, rumors come with the territory. But conspiracy theories are a different kind of beast, and sometimes, they can get so deep and dark that celebrities have no choice but to speak out.
Here are 11 times celebrities responded to conspiracy theories about themselves.
THE THEORY: In the early 2000s, a theory emerged alleging Avril Lavigne had taken her life after becoming depressed over her music career and her grandfather’s death. She was said to have been replaced by a lookalike named Melissa Vandella by money-hungry studio executives who wanted to continue to capitalize on her success, with photo and video “evidence” to support the idea.
THE RESPONSE: Avril has responded to the theory several times over the years — most recently, on the Call Her Daddy podcast. “It’s so dumb,” she said. “Honestly, it’s not that bad. It could be worse, right? I feel like I got a good one. I don’t think it’s negative or anything creepy, so it’s like, we’re good.”
THE THEORY: Kate Middleton’s public absence after her abdominal surgery in January sparked various theories about her health. Some internet users speculated she’d actually died during the operation. Others joked she was somewhere secretly recovering from a BBL.
THE RESPONSE: In a video statement, Kate revealed she had been in treatment after cancer was discovered after her surgery. “I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” she said. “We hope that you’ll understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.” She added that she looked forward to returning to her royal duties when she could.
THE THEORY: In 2017, Lea Michele faced speculation she couldn’t read after a now-viral episode of the pop culture podcast One More Thing. The hosts were discussing an anecdote from Naya Rivera’s memoir, in which Naya claimed Lea refused to improvise scenes on Glee. The hosts figured Lea wouldn’t do it because she had memorized lines that had been read to her. They postulated she had to be fed lines because she’d never actually learned to read.
THE RESPONSE: In an interview with the New York Times, Lea said: “I went to Glee every single day; I knew my lines every single day. And then there’s a rumor online that I can’t read or write? It’s sad. It really is. I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn’t be the case.”
THE THEORY: Last year, after Jamie Foxx was hospitalized with an undisclosed medical issue, conspiracy theorists claimed he had died and been replaced by a clone.
THE RESPONSE: Jamie reportedly addressed — and denied — the theory at the Critics Choice Association Awards Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino & AAPI Achievements. “I’m not a clone, I’m not a clone. I know a lot of people who were saying I was cloned out there,” he said, per Page Six. “I want to thank everybody. I’ve been through something, I’ve been through some things.”
THE THEORY: Similarly, there was a conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney from the Beatles had died in 1966. The rumor claimed he had been involved in a fatal car accident and was secretly replaced with a body double.
THE RESPONSE: During an appearance on “Carpool Karaoke,” Paul said that after 50 years of the rumor circulating, “We just kind of let it go.”
THE THEORY: Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson have long described themselves as “brothers,” but some fans believe they’ve secretly dated since their One Direction days.
THE RESPONSE: Louis has denied the rumor several times. By 2024, he seemed defeated by the constant speculation surrounding their relationship. “What I realized a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say. There is nothing I can do to stop those who believe in this conspiracy,” Louis told the Brazilian publication g1. “They are so connected to what they believe that they will not see the truth for what it really is.”
THE THEORY: Pretty much ever since the Kardashians became famous, fans have maintained a conspiracy theory that Khloé Kardashian is secretly O.J. Simpson’s daughter. They allege Kris Jenner had an affair during her marriage to Robert Kardashian, with whom O.J. had been close friends.
THE RESPONSE: The Kardashians have vehemently denied the claims. O.J. did, too. “I always thought Kris was a cute girl, she was really nice, but you know I was dating supermodels,” he said on the Full Send Podcast. “But the rumor ain’t true. Nowhere even close to being true.”
THE THEORY: For years, people have theorized that Keanu Reeves is immortal because of his youthful appearance. There’s even a website dedicated to this theory, which says Keanu has existed as early as the 1500s and that he’s shapeshifted from historical figures such as Charlemagne and Paul Mounet.
THE THEORY: Jennifer Lawrence’s graceful fall at the 2013 Oscars led to viral speculation that she faked it for attention.
THE RESPONSE: Jennifer soon denied the theory. “Trust me, if I was going to plan it, I would have done it at the Golden Globes or the SAGs,” she told Marie Claire, per Entertainment Tonight.
THE THEORY: After Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce went public in 2023, many assumed their relationship was fake.
THE RESPONSE: Travis insisted otherwise in an interview ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl. “You’re all crazy,” he told reporter Tracy Wolfson, according to People. “Every last one of you, you’re crazy.” Travis also said, “It’s been nothing but fun.”
THE THEORY: In 2001, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were involved in a viral death hoax after California radio DJs Kramer and Twitch announced on air that the singers had gotten into a fatal car accident. According to ABC News, they claimed Britney had died in the crash, while Justin had been left in a coma.
THE RESPONSE: Britney denied the rumors through her publicist. “There is no truth to the rumor circulating around the world that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were involved in a car accident on Tuesday,” the rep said via a statement to Reuters, assuring fans Britney was in “great health.”
What are some other times when celebs addressed wild conspiracy theories about themselves? Tell me in the comments!