Image of anti-Biden message on Las Vegas Sphere made with TikTok filter | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·2 min read
55

The claim: Image shows Las Vegas Sphere lit up with profane anti-Biden message

An Oct. 29 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes an image of the Las Vegas Sphere with an American flag display that says "F--- Biden."

"The sphere at the Venetian Las Vegas," reads the post.

It received more than 1,000 interactions in less than a week. Other versions of the claim were shared thousands of additional times on Facebook.

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Our rating: Altered

The venue told USA TODAY the claim is false. There is no evidence of any such display on the Sphere's social media accounts or in local news reports.

Background of image matches Sphere filter on TikTok

There is no mention of any such display on the Sphere’s social media accounts or in news reports from local outlets, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, KVVU-TV or KNTV.

Sphere spokesperson Mikyl Cordova also told USA TODAY the claim is false.

The background of the photo in the social media posts matches one used in a TikTok filter that allows users to superimpose their own videos on top of the Sphere.

The Sphere had an NBA Summer League theme on July 11, when a viral version of the claim first appeared. Since then, it’s had projections including an eyeball, a yellow emoji that appeared to mock a golfer after an unimpressive shot, and a Jack-o'-lantern.

Fact check: Image of NYC 'Glory to Urine' billboard was digitally created, not real

USA TODAY previously debunked a claim that the Sphere displayed the Israeli flag amid the country’s war with Hamas.

The Sphere in Las Vegas transformed into a giant pumpkin ahead of the Halloween season.
The Sphere in Las Vegas transformed into a giant pumpkin ahead of the Halloween season.

USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Reuters, PolitiFact and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim Vegas Sphere displayed anti-Biden message | Fact check