Video shows Adele held Mexican flag, not Palestinian one, during performance | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Adele carried a Palestinian flag during a performance amid the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict

A Nov. 16 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows the musical artist Adele singing and carrying a flag in one arm in a packed theater.

"Adele singing when we were young holding flag of palestine," reads on-screen text in the video. "She stands with (Palestine)."

The post was liked more than 2,500 times in two weeks.

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Our rating: False

Other videos from the performance show Adele was carrying a Mexican flag, not a Palestinian flag. The video predates the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Longer videos show Adele carrying Mexican flag during Las Vegas show

Adele, the famous English singer whose hits include "Hello" and "Easy On Me," has been performing her Las Vegas residency "Weekends with Adele" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

The performance in the Instagram video happened on Sept. 30, predating the start of Israel's current war with Hamas. Longer videos from the Las Vegas show posted to social media show the musician singing and carrying the flag in the same setting.

The videos also show Adele handing items she's carrying to another person, including a Mexican flag bearing its distinctive brown eagle coat of arms. It is not a Palestinian flag, which does not have a coat of arms in the middle.

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USA TODAY reached out to Adele's representatives and the Instagram user who shared the video for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Reuters also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim video shows Adele holding Palestinian flag | Fact check