No, Zac Efron is not a Disney-created clone. Broadcast is from satire website | Fact check

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
Updated ·1 min read
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The claim: Video shows Disney Channel stars are lab-created clones

A Feb. 8 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows broadcasters reporting on the purported production of clones to star in Disney programming for children.

"All Disney celebrities are clones!!!" reads text in the video. "This is now public knowledge. So who else is not human?"

The video, versions of which also circulated on TikTok, garnered more than 600 likes within a week.

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Our rating: False

Although the video is not labeled as satire, it was produced by The Onion, a satirical news publication.

Disney clones video from satirical news site

The video, which purports that former Disney Channel stars including Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron are clones created in a lab, was posted on The Onion's YouTube channel in 2008. The Onion describes its content as satire in an FAQ section on its website.

The Instagram post, however, has no such satire disclaimer.

It's an example of "stolen satire" – when satirical content is taken from its original context and presented as legitimate news, which potentially misleads readers.

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

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Miley Cyrus and past Disney stars are not clones | Fact check