QAnon Accounts Ambush Chrissy Teigen Following Death Of Newborn
Topline
Social media accounts known for spreading the QAnon conspiracy theory ambushed model Chrissy Teigen after she posted about losing her baby due to pregnancy complications, pushing a lie that questioned whether the death had been staged in the latest example of the virulent accounts spreading misinformation and hateful rhetoric online.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Chrissy Teigen (L) and John Legend attend the 2020 Vanity … [+]
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Key Facts
Teigen posted about the death of her third son, Jack, on her Twitter page Thursday:
Teigen—who blocked over 1 million social media accounts and took a break from social media earlier this year after QAnon accounts spread a conspiracy theory linking her to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and social media users flooded her posts with pizza emoji symbols, a reference to a separate but related conspiracy theory known as “Pizzagate”—was bombarded by replies from QAnon accounts on her post.
“THIS HAS TO BE STAGED!” one QAnon account wrote on Twitter in response to Teigen’s post, before repeating the unfounded claim she was connected to Epstein.
Forbes reached out to Twitter to ask whether the accounts that had ambushed Teigen would be taken down and suspended—and whether this kind of behavior violated its newly clarified policy on QAnon.
Twitter did not immediately respond to comment, but one prominent QAnon account with more than 200,000 followers that helped spread the Teigen conspiracy theory appeared to have been suspended after Forbes pointed the user’s tweet out to Twitter.
Teigen was ambushed on Instagram as well on Thursday, with multiple users posting comments on her picture mourning the death of her son that questioned whether the death had occurred (Forbes has reached out to Facebook for comment.)
Key Background
Last month, Twitter clarified its policy on QAnon—which it began cracking down on in July—to say that it would take action on tweets and accounts that engaged in “groups coordinating to cause harm.” The policy rollout came after the platform cracked down on QAnon in July, banning more than 7,000 accounts and preventing QAnon content from appearing on sections of its site
Tangent
QAnon believers say President Trump is engaged in a battle to take down a “deep state” system of liberal politicians, government officials and Hollywood celebrities that are running an international sex-trafficking ring (an FBI memo released last year warned that QAnon’s followers could be possible “conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists”).
Surprising Fact
Trump has refused—twice—to disavow the QAnon conspiracy theory when asked. Aside from Trump, the conspiracy theory has made inroads in the Republican Party this year. Multiple candidates with a known history of promoting the conspiracy theory have a shot at winning election to Congress in November.
Further Reading
QAnon, Far-Right Accounts Spread Baseless Conspiracy Theory Biden Wore A Wire During Debate (Forbes)
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