Oprah Winfrey has been forced to deny rumours that she has been arrested for sex trafficking after fake news reports emerged online.
The presenter’s name has been trending on Twitter since the seemingly baseless rumours began, and now Winfrey has reassured fans she is just “sanitising and self distancing with the rest of the world” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She wrote on Twitter: “Just got a phone call that my name is trending. And being trolled for some awful FAKE thing. It’s NOT TRUE.
“Haven’t been raided, or arrested. Just sanitising and self distancing with the rest of the world. Stay safe everybody.”
An unverified post that appeared to spark the rumour claimed Winfrey’s house in Boca Raton, Florida, had been raided by the authorities.
MailOnline reports the claim is linked to the QAnon, a conspiracy theory claiming there is a "deep state" working against Donald Trump.
A producer on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, Andy Lassner, was among those who tried to point out the post was false when it went viral, saying: “The staggering amount of people believing a 100 per cent fake story about Oprah doesn’t make me feel good about the chances of society continuing.”
Idris Elba is the latest high profile celebrity to be diagnosed with coronavirus. The actor revealed the news on Twitter, telling fans: “Don’t freak out.”
Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson also tested positive. They left hospital and are now under quarantine in Australia.
