A number of purported information experiences and movies on Youtube are being shared on social media, claiming to indicate veteran Hollywood star Steven Seagal taking part in Russia’s army operations in Ukraine.
The Declare
A screenshot of a purported CNN tweet, shared, amongst others, by Joe Rogan, seems to counsel that U.S. actor Steven Seagal has been “noticed by intelligence companies” combating alongside Russian troops close to the Hostomel army airfield lately captured by the Russians.
Although the controversial comic seems to have shared the picture as a joke, it has since acquired greater than 240,000 likes and has been shared in earnest by different customers on Instagram and different social media.
Equally, a Youtube video clip from a Sky News report has been shared, captioned “Steven Seagal noticed combating in Ukraine,” that includes a tall man with black hair and a ponytail, wearing army gear.
Some commentators are additionally referencing experiences that the 69-year-old actor was final identified to be residing in Moscow, reportedly to flee U.S. tax authorities.
The Details
There isn’t any proof that claims about Steven Seagal’s participation within the Russian invasion of Ukraine are grounded in truth.
Whereas it’s true that the actor is a identified Kremlin sympathizer and a pal of each Russian President Putin and Belarussian chief Alexander Lukashenka (with whom he famously shared a carrot in 2016, as seen in a viral video), the experiences of his supposed involvement within the army operations are false.
The screengrab shared by Rogan and others is faux. The picture used is definitely from a 2017 movie referred to as Cartels (aka Killing Salazar), which options the veteran motion film star in a minor position as a member of an elite particular ops squad.
The CNN brand is tagged on digitally and there’s no proof that such a tweet or corresponding article was ever printed. The latest point out of Seagal by the information community is a video from June 2021 exhibiting the actor, who holds a Russian citizenship, becoming a member of Russia’s pro-Kremlin political occasion “A Simply Russia For Reality.”
As for the Sky News clip, because the audio commentary signifies, it exhibits a bunch of Ukrainian—not Russian—troopers detaining potential Russian saboteurs in Ukraine.
The soldier that’s presupposed to be Seagal does certainly have a resemblance to the actor in his youthful years, however upon nearer examination a number of variations are obvious.
First, his hair is darkish, however not black just like the actor’s. Second, as per the newest pictures Seagal shared on his Instagram, he’s considerably bulkier and fewer match than the person within the video.
The actor has been banned from touring to Ukraine since 2017 as a consequence of his ties with the Kremlin.
Regardless of hypothesis that Seagal, who’s a particular envoy within the U.S. for Russia’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs, has been primarily based in Moscow lately, the actor’s present whereabouts couldn’t be independently confirmed by Newsweek.
His final Instagram publish options him assembly Emirati officers in Dubai in September 2021. Most up-to-date information experiences in regards to the actor contain his actual property enterprise, particularly his alleged sale of a property in Canada.
Shortly after the article was printed, the actor’s PR consultant responded to a Newsweek remark request, stating there was “zero reality” to solutions Seagal had joined the Russian offensive.
“Steven has been in Dubai on enterprise for the final week. There’s zero reality to the wild photoshopped picture shared on social media which is lifted from Steven’s 2017 film named Cartels,” Seagal’s consultant stated.
They added that it was unlucky that social media accounts with massive followings are failing to do the due diligence of reality checking unverified claims.
The Ruling
False.
No, there isn’t a proof that Steven Seagal has joined the Russian forces combating in Ukraine. A purported screenshot of a CNN tweet is digitally manipulated and contains a shot from a film scene. The video claiming to indicate Seagal in Kiev is in truth that includes a member of the Ukrainian army.
Replace 2/28/22, 10:10 a.m. ET: This text has been up to date to incorporate a remark from Steven Seagal’s consultant.
FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK
ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP through Getty Photos
