FACT CHECK: Did Matthew McConaughey Send This Tweet About A Specific Instagram Account Harassing Him?

Anna MockJune 14, 2022

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet from actor Matthew McConaughey requesting Instagram shut down the account “@Libs” for harassment.

Verdict: False

This tweet is digitally fabricated. There is no evidence that McConaughey authored the tweet or has called for any specific Instagram accounts to be shut down.

Fact Check:

McConaughey delivered a speech at the White House June 8 following a May 24 school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, according to Newsweek. The actor called for Congress to implement new gun control laws as well as invest in mental health programs and universal background checks, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post allegedly shows a screenshot of a tweet from McConaughey’s verified account asking Instagram to take action against an account that has harassed him for his stance on gun control.

“Unbelievable. Instagram needs to shut down the account @Libs for harassing me,” the purported tweet reads. “I shouldn’t be harassed for standing up, wanting to take actions against guns. All @Libs does is rally people to make fun of politicians and people like me. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS PAGE.” (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Tweet People Should Follow A Specific Instagram Account?)

The screenshot is fabricated. The alleged post can’t be found on McConaughey’s verified Instagram, Twitter or Facebook accounts. Archives of the actor’s Twitter page show no signs of the message. There are likewise no credible news reports suggesting the actor called for a specific Instagram account to be suspended on any platform.

The format of the tweet is also incorrect. While the profile picture and the username are correct, the handle is incorrectly listed as @MattMconaughey. The actor’s official handle is listed as @McConaughey.

Check Your Fact has reached out to McConaughey’s team for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.