Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Infamous Internet Rumors That Ended Up Being True

boy playing at laptop inside room

boy playing at laptop inside room

Photo by Ludovic Toinel on Unsplash

Reddit user strakerak asked: 'What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?'

In 2017, I returned to my office after my lunch break to hear my supervisors discussing Tom Petty. This seemed like a random topic to me until one of my supervisors told me Tom Petty had passed away. He was a huge fan of Petty and spent the next hour or so combing through the internet to get more information.

He came back into the room my other supervisor and I were working in and announced that Tom Petty wasn't dead after all. News outlets had jumped the gun to announce his death, but he was actually still alive.


The next day, I came in to find out that Tom Petty was dead; the news may have been premature, but true.

This is a classic example of the rumor being started on the internet. Sometimes, like with the news of Tom Petty's death, the rumor can run wild and appear everywhere. Other times, the rumor can be seen by just a few people and dismissed. However, a lot of times, these rumors turn out to be true.

Redditors know a lot of internet rumors that turned out to be true, and are eager to share.

It all started when Redditor strakerak asked:

"What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?"

The King Of Pop

" Michael Jackson writing the music for Sonic 3."

"He actually did, but was never credited on the game because it would breach his contract with his record label."

– -WigglyLine-

"He did the same when he appeared on The Simpsons. He appeared under a pseudonym, and the Producers said it was an impersonator."

"Only years later they confirmed it really was Michael."

"His singing voice was actually done by an impersonator, though."

– given2fly_

The Truth Comes Out

"In 1998, US Men’s National Team captain John Harkes was shockingly cut from the team right before the World Cup. The coach claimed it was because Harkes wouldn’t fit into his new preferred formation, but rumors flew on the early internet that it was actually because he had slept with his teammate Eric Wynalda’s wife. The rumor was so well-known in soccer circles that Harkes expressly denied it in his autobiography the next year."

"Fast forward 12 years to 2010 and Wynalda admits it’s true. The coach then came out and admitted it was why he dropped Harkes, but that he’d planned to keep the secret as long as Wynalda did."

– guyfromsoccer

Video Evidence

"The Tim Burton Hansel and Gretel that aired once on halloween in the 80's."

"I heard for years that it was fake but I knew it was real because my dad recorded everything in the 80s and he recorded that. We let a good friend of ours borrow it and switch it over from VHS to DVD and soon after that it made its way on to the internet , and there it is now. I know it's our copy because the tracking in the beginning is screwed up. Still have the VHS."

– Frozenthickness

"There was a similar story with a Nickelodeon movie called Cry Baby Lane. It was supposed to be so scary that Nickelodeon got complaints and denied its existence for years. Someone uploaded a taped copy to youtube about a decade ago."

– PattiAllen

The Movie Business

"That North Korea hacked Sony Pictures because of The Interview movie."

"I worked in the movie business at the time and the account managers at Sony all basically needed to get new identities as all of their personal information got leaked online."

OldMastodon5363

"My partner worked on that movie and the production bought all the crew 1 year of an identity theft tracking service."

CMV_Viremia

Keep Away From The Ears Of Kids

"Some banned episodes or scenes of cartoons."

"For example, I remember there was a Dexter’s Lab cartoon where he clones evil versions of DeDe and himself and they swear like every other word (censored of course), and people debated whether it even existed cause they only aired it like once. Now it’s pretty accessible online."

– Spledidlife

Yes, It's True

"Echelon, a massive electronic espionage system by the US and allies to intercept all electronic messages, especially emails."

"In the mid-nineties it was a topic on conspiracy BBS boards. A lot of people in my bubble at the time (mainly uni students in Europe) were including fake threats to the US in the their email signatures as a way to "protest" and "fill the system with false alarms" (obviously useless)."

"Then, in 1999-2000 came out to be true and a lot of security service agencies from UK and other US allies started to admit they were part of the espionage network."

– latflickr

How The Mighty Fell

"John Edward’s love child."

– ACam574

"A reminder that he was cheating on his wife while she was hospitalized for cancer treatment."

– Fanclock314

Ugh...

"Carrie Fisher's heart attack. Some a**hole who was on the same flight was livetweeting the whole medical emergency and justified it by insisting she was just making sure the family was informed."

– everylastlight

It Actually Happened

"Every year around her birthday there was a rumor that Betty White died. When I heard she died, I scoffed, saying that dumb rumor is back.... then saw it on the news. I was in shock."

– Known-Committee8679

"The fact that Betty died literally right before she turned 100 is such a Betty White way to go out."

– Paganigsegg

Big Actor, Small Roles

"I distinctly remember some rumors about the reason why Bruce Willis was taking so many roles in sh*tty movies before it was announced he has dementia."

– KampferMann

"RedLetterMedia did a deep dive on his recent movie activity to try and work out why exactly he was taking part in basically scam-movies. They noticed he had an earpiece in one of the scenes and joked that the director was feeding him lines. I remember they even disclaimed over the rumours at the time, and possible made a follow-up vid when it was revealed to the public."

– CardinalCreepia

What To Do Next?

"That the writer of LOST were making it up as they went."

"Turned out to be absolutely true."

– homarjr

That last one was kind of obvious!

Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comment below.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Wendi McLendon-Covey
John Nacion/Getty Images

Wendi McLendon-Covey Reveals Hilariously Candid Reason She Missed 'Bridesmaids' Reunion At The Oscars

Wendi McLendon-Covey shares one very specific personality trait with most of the character roles she's played: she's incredibly honest.

Last weekend at the Oscars, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper, and Maya Rudolph came together on stage to celebrate fifteen years since the filming of their comedic hit Bridesmaids and to present the award for Best Musical Score.

Keep Reading Show less
Teyana Taylor
@MattWallace888/X

Teyana Taylor Confronts Security Guard For Shoving Her After The Oscars In Tense Video

A tense moment between One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor and a security guard at the Oscars has gone viral after Taylor stood up for herself backstage.

Taylor could be seen reprimanding a security guard whom she chided for putting "hands on a female" as she tried to pass by.

Keep Reading Show less
Ryan Coogler
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Ryan Coogler Had A Hidden Nod To 'Sinners' Braided Into His Hair At The Oscars—And Fans Are Loving It

Producer, director, and screenwriter Ryan Coogler's Sinners made history at the 2026 Academy Awards by breaking the record for the most nominations for a single film, earning 16.

They ultimately won four: Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Lead Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw), and Score (Ludwig Göransson).

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots from AI-generated video of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "fighting" a twinkie
@SecKennedy/X

Shirtless RFK Jr. Dragged After Sharing Bizarre WWE-Inspired AI Video Of Him Wrestling A Twinkie

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was widely mocked after he shared a video on X with the caption "MAHAMania: SnackDown" in which he wrestles a Twinkie as part of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.

Kennedy posted the AI-generated video on Sunday; it shows him emerging shirtless into a WWE SmackDown arena while Limp Bizkit’s 2000 hit "Rollin'" played in the background.

Keep Reading Show less
Marjorie Taylor Greene; Megyn Kelly; Mark Levin
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME; Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Radio Hall of Fame

MTG Applauds Megyn Kelly For Her Brutal 'Micropenis' Dig Against Fox News Host Mark Levin In Clash Over Iran

Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene applauded conservative host Megyn Kelly amid her ongoing social media clash with Fox News host Mark Levin over the war in Iran after Kelly made a dig about Levin's "micropenis."

Kelly has broken with the Trump administration over the war in Iran, attracting attention for her open admonishment of key figures like South Carolina Republican Representative Lindsey Graham, whom she referred to as a "homicidal maniac" after reports that Graham helped convince President Donald Trump to authorize the bombing campaign.

Keep Reading Show less