Anyone who tells you they’ve never told a lie is, to put it bluntly, lying. While these lies are not always malicious, they often result in embarrassing revelations, especially for famous people who have many more eyes focused on them than the rest of us.
Despite this extra scrutiny, many celebrities have convinced themselves they’re smart enough to get away with outrageous untruths. Spoiler alert: they weren’t. From revolutionary medical equipment to a Spanish accent, here are five of the strangest things famous people have lied about.
1. The White Stripes’ fake relationship
Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes wowed the world as a two-piece brother-sister band. Fans were understandably disturbed to discover that the two were actually married. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wallow in the horror of this revelation for long because, as it turns out, they are not siblings.
The couple decided to present themselves as brother and sister when they were first starting out because they thought it would be more interesting.
2. Hilaria Baldwin’s fake Spanish accent
Wife of famous actor Alec Baldwin, Hilaria presented herself as a Spanish native for years. She spoke in a thick accent during television appearances and even “forgot” the English word for things on numerous occasions. Eventually, though, the truth came out.
Hilaria is actually an American woman, originally named Hilary, who grew up in Boston. Her classmates from high school revealed that she was faking the accent and her Spanish heritage, which led to an embarrassing situation for Hilaria.
3. Elizabeth Holmes’ fake billion-dollar company
If you thought faking your birthplace, heritage, and accent was wild, imagine faking a medical breakthrough and keeping a straight face while people invest billions into your company. This is exactly what Elizabeth Holmes did with Theranos.
In a nutshell, Holmes claimed to have revolutionized the healthcare industry by creating a technology that allowed medical professionals to do a full raft of blood tests from a single drop of blood. The only problem with this incredible new breakthrough was that it was a complete lie. Since it all came crashing down, Holmes was hit with multiple fraud-related charges that carry a maximum 20-year prison sentence.
4. Jussie Smollet’s fake assault
With a starring role in the popular TV show Empire, Smollet had a promising career ahead of him. Then, he decided to stage an assault, hiring two men to attack him in the street. He reported the attack to the police and went public with claims that the “attackers” had been motivated by prejudice.
This stunt backfired when police figured out what Smollet had done. The disgraced actor has since faced charges and been convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct.
5. Kylie Jenner’s fake billionaire cover story
When Forbes came out with its cover story declaring that Kylie Jenner was the youngest self-made billionaire, it triggered a tidal wave of eye rolls around the world. While most people disputed the “self-made” part of the title, what we should have been looking at was the “billionaire” part.
In 2020, Forbes retracted its declaration of billionairehood, revealing that they had been misled by the Jenners. Many criticized Forbes writers for not doing their due diligence before the initial publication. However, Forbes claimed that the revelatory information had only come to light when Jenner sold half Kylie Cosmetics in 2019.
If this list hasn’t taught you a lesson about lying, then nothing will! At best, it will land you in trouble on social media, but at worst, it could land you in jail. So, always think before you speak.