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Fact check: Kevin Spacey was not killed by an Iranian missile in Israel
The X post garnered more than 11 million views, with many users tagging Grok to verify the information.
The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on Saturday.
Iran retaliated by launching a wave of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported that a woman was killed and at least 21 others were injured in the Tel Aviv area, according to AFP.
Tehran later confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described Khamenei’s killing as a “declaration of war against Muslims” and warned that “Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.”
Air raid sirens sounded across Jerusalem on Sunday, with explosions heard overhead after the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory.
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States would strike Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if Tehran followed through on its threats of retaliation.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.”
Kevin Spacey killed in missile strike?
Amid the escalating conflict, a viral rumor began circulating on social media claiming that Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey had been killed by an Iranian missile in Tel Aviv.
The claim originated from an account called “Emerald Fennel Updates,” which posted: “Kevin Spacey has been killed by an Iranian missile in Tel Aviv." It falsely cited Deadline as its source.
The post garnered more than 11 million views, with many users tagging Grok to verify the information.
The truth
The claim is false. There are no credible reports from established news outlets confirming Kevin Spacey's death. The post appears to have been intended as satire or engagement bait.
Grok also denied the rumor, stating, “No, Kevin Spacey was not killed by an Iranian missile in Tel Aviv. This is a hoax and fake news that spread on social media (especially X/Twitter) recently, often falsely attributing it to sources like Deadline. Multiple fact-checks and reports confirm it's false, with no credible news outlet (Deadline, major media, etc.) reporting any such incident involving him.”
