Fact check: Claim about a Kyle Rittenhouse lawsuit against Whoopi Goldberg is satire
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The claim: A judge denied a motion to dismiss Kyle Rittenhouse lawsuit against Whoopi Goldberg
An article purporting to describe a $25 million defamation suit filed by Kyle Rittenhouse against comedian and "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg gained wide traction online, with more than 14,000 people interacting with it on Facebook alone.
The April 24 article from the "Dunning-Kruger Times" claimed Rittenhouse filed a defamation suit against Goldberg in April 2022 and that a judge in the "Wisconsin Western District US Court of Writs and Affidavits" had denied Goldberg's motion to dismiss the case.
Rittenhouse became the subject of national attention during a November 2021 trial where he was acquitted of all charges related to the killing of two men during a 2020 protest in the wake of Jacob Blake's death in Kenosha, Wisc.
In comments on Facebook and Twitter posts about the claim, users celebrated the supposed win.
"Good for him," one user wrote. "I'm so happy to see that justice will be served finally!!"
"He'll get every dime and then some, according to experts," Facebook page America's Last Line of Defense captioned the article in an April 24 post.
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However, the story isn't real, nor is anything else posted by the Dunning-Kruger Times. It's part of a network of satirical sites and Facebook pages the creator said is designed to troll conservatives.
Article was fictional
While there is history between Rittenhouse and Goldberg, there is no lawsuit.
In February 2022, Rittenhouse told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he planned to create a fund that would support lawsuits against reporters and cited Goldberg as a potential target.
"Whoopi Goldberg is on the list," he said in the segment, according to the Guardian. "She called me a murderer after I was acquitted by a jury of my peers.”
In an episode of "The View" on ABC, Goldberg had said, "Two people were murdered. To me it’s murder. I’m sorry.”
The "Dunning-Kruger Times" discloses in its "about" page that it is part of America's Last Line of Defense, a "network of parody, satire and tomfoolery" run by Christopher Blair. Blair previously published a satirical article about a supposed Rittenhouse lawsuit against Goldberg and co-host Joy Behar in November 2021, USA TODAY reported.
All of the websites and Facebook pages in the network disclose in "about" pages that their content is made-up, though this disclaimer isn't visible on the Facebook posts themselves.
Fact check: False claim that Kyle Rittenhouse, lawyers sued 2 hosts of 'The View'
"I welcome every fact-check," Blair wrote in an email to USA TODAY. "I understand exactly why they're necessary."
Our rating: Satire
Based on our research, we rate SATIRE the claim that a judge denied a motion to dismiss Rittenhouse's lawsuit against Goldberg. There is no such lawsuit. The website where the claim originated discloses that it is satirical and that "nothing on this page is real."
Our fact-check sources:
America - Love It or Leave It, accessed April 22, About
America's Last Line of Defense via Facebook, accessed April 28, About Us
Dunning-Kruger Times, accessed April 28, About Us
Christopher Blair, April 27, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Dunning-Kruger Times, April 24, Judge Denies Whoopi’s Motion to Dismiss Kyle Rittenhouse’s $25 million Lawsuit
USA TODAY, Nov. 19, 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts of homicide, reckless endangerment
The Guardian, Feb. 22, Kyle Rittenhouse launches initiative to fight media ‘lies’ – and Whoopi Goldberg
USA TODAY, Nov. 30, 2021, Fact check: False claim that Kyle Rittenhouse, lawyers sued 2 hosts of 'The View'
Lead Stories, April 26, Fact Check: Judge Did NOT Dismiss Kyle Rittenhouse's (Nonexistent) $25 Million Lawsuit Against Whoopi Goldberg
The Washington Post, Nov. 17, 2018, ‘Nothing on this page is real’: How lies become truth in online America
USA TODAY, Aug. 25, 2020, Fact check: Viral claim about Nancy Pelosi and overseas military voters is false, came from satire site
USA TODAY, Feb. 16, 2021, Fact check: It is impossible for Pelosi to divert Social Security funds for impeachment
USA TODAY, Sept. 24, 2020, Fact check: Claim that Biden called the Second Amendment 'obsolete' is satire
USA TODAY, April 29, Fact check: Satirical post about Disney CEO and 'going woke' fools many
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: There is no Rittenhouse v. Goldberg lawsuit, despite claim