Anti-Israel post purportedly from Mel Gibson is not real; he's not on social media | Fact check

Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Image shows Mel Gibson's social media post warning ‘the end’ is coming for Israel

A Nov. 4 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a social media post supposedly made by actor Mel Gibson. It includes a photo of Israel’s flag with an hourglass in place of the Star of David.

“Soon the end and they know it, that’s why they want to destroy everything in the way,” reads the caption of the post purportedly by Gibson.

It was liked more than 700 times in five days.

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Our rating: Altered

Gibson's publicist said the actor did not share the post and does not have any social media accounts. There is no credible evidence he has made the statement shown in the post.

No social media accounts for ‘Lethal Weapon’ star

Gibson, the star of films such as “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon,, did not share the post, publicist Alan Nierob told USA TODAY.

“He doesn’t have any public or private accounts,” Nierob said in an email.

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Gibson has been accused of making antisemitic remarks in the past, but there is no evidence the actor made the statement shown in the post.

While the post does not specify which social media platform it was supposedly shared on, it most closely resembles posts on Facebook. However, a closer look shows it doesn’t match legitimate posts.

Mel Gibson arrives at the 89th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., Feb. 6, 2017.
Mel Gibson arrives at the 89th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., Feb. 6, 2017.

Each Facebook post includes an icon next to the date that indicates its audience. A globe icon appears for public posts, a silhouette signifies friends may see it and there are other icons for groups or custom settings. There is no such icon in the post purportedly shared by Gibson.

The fabricated Gibson post also lists the post time as "yesterday." In an authentic Facebook post, the letter Y would be capitalized.

The social media user who shared the post could not be reached.

PolitiFact and Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anti-Israel post tied to Mel Gibson is a fabrication | Fact check