The claim: Justin Bieber said the COVID-19 vaccine caused his facial paralysis
After pop singer Justin Bieber announced he was suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes paralysis of nerves in the face, anti-vaccine social media users speculated that the condition was a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Now, users on Twitter, Telegram and TikTok are claiming an article excerpt is proof that Bieber confirmed the rumors.
“Justin Bieber now admits that he regrets taking the Covid-19 vaccine, saying that it left him with permanent paralysis in his face,” reads the excerpt of the article in an Instagram post from June 30. “Bieber made the confession to a close friend, who later leaked the information to the Daily Mail. Bieber reportedly plans on suing Pfizer for causing his paralysis, despite the fact the company is shielded from liability.”
More than 700 users liked this post – captioned “We tried to tell y’all!” – in one week.
A viral TikTok with the same article excerpt has been viewed more than 450,000 times since it was posted on June 28, and the rumor also spread widely on Telegram after a conspiracy theorist with more than 150,000 followers shared the article in early June, Le Monde reported.
However, the article shown in these posts is from the Vancouver Times, a satire outlet. There is no evidence Bieber attributed his facial paralysis to the COVID-19 vaccine.
USA TODAY reached out to the Vancouver Times and several users who shared the post for comment.
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Article where claim originated is satirical
The claim that Bieber attributed his facial paralysis to the COVID-19 vaccine originated with the Vancouver Times, a website that bills itself as “the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast” on its About page.
When the site’s article about Bieber was published, a note at the bottom identified the content as satirical, according to Internet archives. Later, the publication added an additional notice that said “health officials consider COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and effective” in response to a fact check from Lead Stories.
Neither Bieber nor his wife, Hailey Bieber, have publicly claimed the COVID-19 vaccine caused the singer’s medical condition, as Reuters and Lead Stories have also reported. In addition, a Daily Mail article linked in the satire piece as supposed proof of Bieber’s purported statement doesn’t mention the vaccine or claim it caused his facial paralysis.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles. After a person has had chickenpox, the virus can lay dormant in their nerves and reactivate, spurring facial paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The claim is an example of stolen satire, in which made-up claims published and labeled as satire are reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.
USA TODAY has debunked several cases in which social media users have falsely linked the COVID-19 vaccine to injuries and deaths of public figures.
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Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Justin Bieber said the COVID-19 vaccine caused his facial paralysis. Bieber has not attributed his condition to the vaccine in any public statements. The claim originated with a satire article.
Our fact-check sources:
- Justin Bieber, June 10, Instagram post
- Le Monde, June 18, Anti-vaxxers falsely link Justin Bieber’s facial paralysis to Covid-19 vaccine
- Mayo Clinic, Oct. 12, 2021, Ramsay Hunt syndrome – Symptoms and causes
- Lead Stories LLC, June 16, Fact Check: Justin Bieber Did NOT Say That COVID-19 Vaccine Ruined His Life
- Politifact, June 18, No evidence Justin Bieber’s facial paralysis caused by COVID-19 vaccine
- Reuters, July 5, Fact Check-Justin Bieber did not say COVID-19 vaccines ‘ruined his life’ – headline was published by satire website
- USA TODAY, June 10, Justin Bieber reveals he has Ramsay Hunt syndrome, half-paralyzed face: ‘This ain’t it’
- USA TODAY, June 10 What is Ramsay Hunt syndrome? What to know after Justin Bieber was diagnosed
- USA TODAY, June 14, Justin Bieber’s wife Hailey gives update after Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis: ‘Getting better every day’
- Vancouver Times, June 11, Justin Bieber: ‘The vaccine ruined my life’ (archived June 21)
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