In late January 2024, the website Espots.com published an article claiming that Mark Wahlberg turned down the opportunity to star in a $65 million film with Tom Hanks because he considered the latter a “bright creep.” The article read:

Breaking News: Mark Wahlberg drops out of $65 million project with Tom Hanks, “What A Woke Creep”

In a move that sent shockwaves through Hollywood, Mark Wahlberg has reportedly dropped out of a $65 million project and refused to work with Tom Hanks. Wahlberg’s reasoning? “What a bright creep.” This bombshell has rocked the entertainment industry and left insiders and fans alike stunned.

The article was posted on the site’s associated Facebook page, SpaceX Fanclub, in early February 2024, but received little attention. However, sites such as Owara.info, which reproduce news articles word for word, stole the article from Espots.com, and in August 2024, the claim resurfaced, this time on X.

However, no part of the story was true.

The SpaceX Fan Club’s Facebook introduction (archived) stated: “We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.”

Similarly, the X-account @IvankaTrumpo, who reposted the claim in August, called his post a “parody,” although he did not outright state that the article was satirical. Finally, Esspots.com, the site that first published the article, describes itself as a “one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America.” The site made this clear on its “About Us” page:

Welcome to the US site of Espots (a subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in satire and parody news), your one-stop shop for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors are dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest fake news and absurdities, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.

On this site you will find all kinds of funny stories and parodies about US politics, culture and society. From hair-raising conspiracy theories to hair-raising political stunts, you will find everything.

Satirical sites like Espots regularly publish headlines that mimic tabloid gossip, sometimes claiming that two celebrities may or may not be collaborating on a project.

These claims often involve unrealistic amounts of money (such as Paramount committing $500 million to a sitcom) and a political justification for working together (or, as in the case of Wahlberg and Hanks’ claim, breaking up), particularly that someone is “too woke.” Celebrities who work at major PR agencies and have extensive media training are rarely among those who use the term.

As background information, we therefore alert our readers to rumors spread by sources that describe their publications as humorous or satirical.