TV personality Oprah Winfrey took to Twitter early Wednesday morning to shut down a rumor she had been arrested for sex trafficking.
Winfrey’s response was to a QAnon conspiracy theory that had surfaced online that claimed the talk show host had been arrested in connection with a sex trafficking ring and her home had been raided, according to the Washington Post.
Just got a phone call that my name is trending. And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. It’s NOT TRUE. Haven’t been raided, or arrested. Just sanitizing and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody.????????
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) March 18, 2020
“Just got a phone call that my name is trending,” Winfrey tweeted. “And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. It’s NOT TRUE. Haven’t been raided, or arrested. Just sanitizing and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody.” (RELATED: Kid Rock Rants About Oprah Winfrey, Joy Behar Before Being Removed From Stage At Bar)
The QAnon conspiracy theory began after a Facebook post claiming coronavirus was “the biggest covert U.S. intelligence operation that the world has ever seen” went viral, the Post reported. The theory pinned coronavirus as the cover for the arrests of Tom Hanks, Winfrey and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Meanwhile, Hanks has been released from the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.
The conspiracy theory picked up Sunday when a user on Facebook shared a photo of caution tape around a Mediterranean home and claimed it was Winfrey’s residence. The author claimed the photo was of authorities “excavating the property and digging up the tunnels.”