A fabricated Fox News graphic purporting to show an FBI statement released following the collapse of athlete Damar Hamlin on the pitch during an NFL match has been shared by social media users online.
The Fox News logo can be seen at the bottom left of the screenshot, with the FBI logo viewable to the center-left of frame.
The purported FBI statement reads: “It is unfortunate that conspiracy theorists are feeding the American public misinformation. It is completely normal for professional NFL athletes to collapse suddenly and be put on a breathing tube.”
The fabricated graphic was shared online following the collapse of Buffalo Bill’s player Damar Hamlin on the field during Jan. 2 NFL game after he suffered a cardiac arrest on Jan. 2 (here).
Examples of the image can be viewed (here) and (here).
A spokesperson for Fox News said the graphic was fabricated and did not air on the channel.
A search through Fox News’ website did not reveal any such comment (archive.is/wip/7JEYz) and the network’s articles reporting on Hamlin’s collapse did not feature any such alleged quote from the FBI (here), (here).
A Google advanced search did not reveal any source for the supposed quote (archive.is/wip/Oz4Qi).
A spokesperson for the FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
VERDICT
False. The image is fabricated, and no such graphic was aired by Fox News.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.