QAnon devotees were celebrating online after actor Sylvester Stallone seemed to show allegiance to their conspiracy theory, which asserts several prominent figures are part of a cabal of Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic child sex-traffickers running the world.
Stallone posted a photo to Instagram in which he donned a hat embroidered with a "Q," the conspiracy theory's symbol, along with a caption that seemed to reference the conspiracy theory, which is part of the bedrock of former Republican President Donald Trump's cultic following.
See the post below.
The post shows Stallone wearing a ballcap emblazoned with a capital letter Q, a symbol of the QAnon movement named after a supposed high-clearance operative by the same name.
The movement claims "Q" has inside knowledge about a cabal of Satan-worshipping, child-molesting, cannibalistic politicians, business people and Hollywood stars who secretly run the world—and are also maybe half-reptile—and whom Donald Trump is supposedly working to eradicate and prosecute.
Hence, QAnoners were an essential part of the January 6 coup attempt at the Capitol that sought to invalidate Trump's 2020 electoral defeat.
The "Q" on Stallone's hat is very similar to the one QAnon uses, right down to the font.
But some on social media pointed out the hat looks like it could also simply be a promotional item from the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
It’s def the Q from the Quantum logo surrounded by the Bond gun barrel. Whether or not that’s the reason he’s wearing it…
— Marcus McAllister (@CaptainMcWow) December 5, 2021
Of course, that doesn't tell us Stallone's motivation for wearing it.
And the caption he included gives further credence to the theory it was intended as a QAnon shout-out.
It originally read:
"Heading into the Storm….
"The Storm" is QAnon-speak for the mass prosecution—and in some cases execution—they believe is forthcoming for this Satanic child-abusing cabal, the Hollywood contingent of which they claim includes Tom Hanks, Beyoncé, Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and several others.
On social media app Telegram, a favorite of the far-right, QAnon-centric accounts and threads lit up with celebratory posts about what they saw as Stallone's thinly veiled shout-out to their movement and dear leader Trump.
But sometimes a cap is just a cap and a caption is just a caption—and for now, that's the story Stallone is telling. In a follow-up Instagram post earlier today, Stallone told everyone to "relax," explaining the hat was indeed a reference to "Quantum of Solince"—albeit a boat given the name, not the similarly named Bond film.
Stallone also updated his original caption by adding:
"As IN THUNDERSTORM!!! We are in a jet for god sake flying through the rain!"
But not everyone was buying it.
Oh that? That’s q anon. But my stupid hat is a boat
— rudy chompers (@ChompersRudy) December 5, 2021
pic.twitter.com/AJNpWKH5DX
— J. Jonason (@Desert_Elf_Owl) December 5, 2021
And the “into the storm” nonsense? pic.twitter.com/wNTgvciZC5
— Ridiculous Johnny (@RidiculousJohn1) December 6, 2021
Heading into the storm? That's Q, Rock. 🤷 Exactly what storm did you mean, Cobretti? https://t.co/SouZFnigSw
— ^Z^ (@_Razzle_Dazzle_) December 6, 2021
Ok so why post the QAnon slogan on the IG post 🤔 https://t.co/qV1dY8BgsJ pic.twitter.com/oignGGmEoa
— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) December 5, 2021
Ok so why post the QAnon slogan on the IG post 🤔 https://t.co/qV1dY8BgsJ pic.twitter.com/oignGGmEoa
— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) December 5, 2021
I deleted the Newsweek article that showed Stallone wearing a hat with Q on it with the caption, "...into the storm." Sly has since said the Q is for "Quantum of Solace," the boat he was on.
Mmmhhhmmm...yeah, okay.
— Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) December 5, 2021
The hat he is wearing in this photo he posted in Instagram is not a logo used or sold by either the film OR the ship. He's lying.
— R. Stephen Browning (@BrowningStephen) December 5, 2021
Nuclear oof. https://t.co/usdGDfNRTs
— Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) December 5, 2021
If QAnon can brainwash American intellectuals like Sylvester Stallone, it can happen to anybody. Stay vigilant, everyone.
https://t.co/ozqTGMhu1O
— connectpoliticditto. (@cpoliticditto) December 5, 2021
Right or wrong, thinking Stallone is a QAnon devotee isn't exactly a leap given his long-standing friendship with Donald Trump.
Though Stallone has never publicly endorsed the former President, he has been seen at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida several times, including New Year's Eve 2016.