Daniel Radcliffe does not have the coronavirus, despite a fake social media claim that he tested positive for it.
The rumors began circulating on Twitter Tuesday afternoon, when a fake BBC Twitter account posted, “BREAKING: Daniel Radcliffe tests positive for coronavirus. The actor is said to be the first famous person to be publicly confirmed.”
Radcliffe’s publicist told Buzzfeed News later in the day that the claim was a hoax.
The Twitter account also utilized the social media platform’s new option to hide responses claiming the report was fake. The post was shared more than 700 times before it was taken down.
The account, @BBCNewsTonight, had 125 followers and has since been suspended from Twitter for violating the platform’s rules and guidelines.
The fake report was further amplified when New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman and Politico’s Digital Editorial Director Blake Hounshell retweeted it.
Both journalists have publicly apologized for sharing the false claim.
“Earlier today, I RTed a fake BBC account and un-RTed when a very helpful reader flagged it,” Haberman admitted on the social media platform. “My apologies for the confusion.”
