While it is true that some conspiracy theories have turned out to be true, around 99% of them are complete nonsense. This is especially concerning when these beliefs involve science or the scientific community. We “normies” are prone to falling for conspiracies, yet celebrities are just as open to falling for them too. That has led to some bad celebrity science being pushed. These scientific conspiracies have become problematic in a world where social media allows the spread of misinformation more than ever before. Not just inside one particular nation, but worldwide too!
Due to this growing problem, we decided to address some of the worst. We should mention though that we will not be bringing up very many political figures, especially those part of a party that spreads specific information to align with the party’s beliefs. While we will bring up some scientific conspiracies, we’ll also address specific beliefs about celebrities that have become problematic too. Essentially, bad celebrity science can be pushed by them, but people can also believe celebs are connected to something that is nonexistent. Sort of like the belief in the Illuminati, yeah, we said it! With that said, let’s get started!
[Image via GMX]
Megan Fox’s Belief In Vinegar Shots
Megan Fox is most known for her roles in both the Transformers franchise as well as Jennifer’s Body. The beautiful actress is often asked about how she manages to stay so beautiful and fit. Fox has responded to some in the past by claiming that she likes to use vinegar shots to get rid of retained water. It also seemingly helps to “clean out her system” too. She’s not alone in this concept, as model Miranda Kerr has referenced using Apple Vinegar on her salads in an effort to stay thin. While this is unlikely to kill someone, vinegar will do very little good if any. However, excess use of vinegar can lead to digestive issues (like acid reflux), damage your teeth (by damaging the enamel), and lower potassium levels. In extreme circumstances, things like apple vinegar led to skin burns.
[Image via DreamWorks Pictures]
Russell Crow Isn’t A Fan Of Circumcision
When a baby boy is born, there will be extra skin around the head of his penis which will remain as he ages. Many people have this extra skin removed as it is assumed that removing the foreskin will lead to fewer issues with the penis itself. We’ve successfully proven that circumcision does not really have any effect on genital health for the most part. Yet Russell Crowe seems to be firmly against it, once even calling it barbaric. The practice really comes from Judaism, where it is claimed that God wanted those marching around the Walls of Jericho to be circumcised and the practice grew among Jews after. It is uncertain why non-Jews have continued doing this, other than it just being the assumed right thing to do. While Crowe is not wrong to call the practice odd, it’s certainly not barbaric.
TMZ
Tila Tequila Has Some Really Weird Beliefs
Honestly, it is tough for us to discuss ALL of Tila Tequila’s odd beliefs. The famous only for being famous internet personality believes there are powerful people controlling the entertainment industry. One theory she has is that a “New World Order” is present, composed of Lizard People, Zionists, Satanists, and of course the Illuminati. Tila also believes, without any real proof, that she is a descendant of an alien race. Somehow, she’s also very upset that people painted Adolph Hitler out to be a monster after his passing. We cannot imagine why people did that, Tila. The crazy part is that this batch of crazy is not exclusive to her. Some vocal people online have been claiming the same things for years. She’s now a Neo-Nazi pretty much, which is odd considering she’s not the type they normally accept.
[Image via Fotos International/Getty Images]
Mister Rogers Was A Military Sharpshooter With Hundreds Of Kills?
If there is ever a person that conspiracy theorists should leave alone, it’s Fred Rogers. Known best for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, he helped to teach kids about acceptance, love, and individuality. Yet one conspiracy is that he served in the Navy during the Vietnam War as a sharpshooting sniper. He managed to get dozens of kills and tattooed them on his arms. This is why he wore sweaters on TV, to cover them up. Yet this theory is idiotic, as Rogers was born in 1928 and was too old to serve in the Vietnam War. Rogers also promoted peace and nonviolence on his show constantly, and the U.S. Armed Forces even came out to debunk the myth. This just goes to show how conspiracy theorists will use anyone to push propaganda and BS. Even someone like one of the greatest men to ever live, Mr. Rogers.
[Image via ELLE]
Korn Singer Jonathan Davis Has A Weird Miley Cyrus Belief
Miley Cyrus was once known as the famous child star from Hanna Montana and the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus. Yet she wanted to grow up basically. She hated the confinement of Disney and wanted to be more. This led to her breakout in music now called “The Bangerz Era.” Korn Singer Jonathan Davis did not buy the idea of Miley wanting to grow up in the public eye. Instead, he pushed the idea that Cyrus and other celebs were being used by the U.S. Government to distract us psychologically so that then-President Barack Obama could pass laws that would give him massive power. Davis claimed other bad celebrity science concepts outside of this, mostly to push his Anti-Obama hatred. The dude even went on the Alex Jones Show to promote his BS… which pretty much explains everything, right?
[Image via Newsweek]
Terrence Howard Thinks Math Is Bad
Terrence Howard has acclaimed roles in shows like Empire as well as movies like The Butler, and many more. Yet he’s not exactly a fan of mathematics. He once claimed that he had an argument with one of his professors at the Pratt Institute about math. He claimed there is no way that “one times one can equal one.” Howard went on to say: “If one times one equals one that means that two is of no value because one times itself has no effect. One times one equals two because the square root of four is two, so what’s the square root of two? Should be one, but we’re told it’s two, and that cannot be.” It should be noted that Howard just does not understand basic math. Oh and he also claimed to have invented his own theory of logic called Terryology.
[Image via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]
Gisele Bündchen Thinks Sunscreen Is Poison
We do not expect all models or supermodels to be like Kharlie Kloss with their intelligence, but we do expect them to know important things about their industry. It can be said that a model’s skincare routine is critical for their career. Yet it seems that the soon-to-be former Mrs. Brady, Gisele Bündchen, had a major problem with sunscreen back in 2011. She claimed that she would never put that “poison” on her skin and would “never use anything synthetic.” Ironically, she was actually launching her own all-natural skincare line at the time and would have to backpedal after massive backlash. Bad celebrity science concepts like this are weird to see, but how did she think this would help her? It should be noted that long-term studies have proven sunscreen can be massively helpful in preventing skin cancer.
[Image via NBC News]
Kourtney Kardashian Firmly Believes Mermaids Are Real
While we’re likely scrapping the bottom of the barrel to discuss this one, it is certainly true that Kourtney Kardashian is a celebrity. Even if she is only really famous for being famous. Yet on Keeping up with the Kardashians back in 2016, a discussion popped up about mermaids. Kourtney claimed that mermaids have to exist because the ocean is so huge. Kim, her sister, claimed they may not exist now but maybe did before. It all led to a sweet moment with their daughters North and Penelope meeting a “real mermaid.” Of course, she was as real as the mermaids you see at Disney World. Why is this belief problematic? It gives license to believe in things that do not exist simply because you “want” them to exist. Kourtney clearly wants mermaids to have been a real thing but there is no proof of this.
[Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]
Demi Moore Likes To “Detoxify” Her Blood
It is pretty clear that Demi Moore, even at 60 years old, is just as beautiful as she was back when she first began acting. Yet this is thanks to a good diet plan, exercise, and likely a proper understanding of makeup and lighting. It has nothing to do with some bad celebrity science she has been spreading. It appears that Demi is a huge fan of “pre-scientific medicine.” This is a nonsense term, but whatever. This is why she likes to use leeches to “detoxify her blood,” as part of a total body cleanse. It should be noted that detox is a medically meaningless term and there is no way leeches would be capable of finding toxins to kill them.
[Image via Prima-UK]
Simon Cowell Loves Oxygen A Bit Too Much
Honestly, we’re not even sure how this even got started. While there are a lot of bad celebrity science tips out there, Simon Cowell’s concept seems insane. He claimed that he is able to retain a “youthful glow” due to carrying around cans of pure oxygen. He said it also helps him manage his stress and even suppress the urge to smoke. This is actually problematic and Cowell likely assumes it works because he has told himself that it will. Resisting the urge to smoke is mental, as is your ability to handle stress. As a result, if Cowell uses something assuming it’ll work then it kinda will. Yet it was not the product, but the person behind it. In the case of using pure oxygen, this can actually be toxic to the lungs and even impair their function. These oxygen shots aren’t going to help but hurt you.
[Image via Billboard]
She’s Not MY Avril
You’ve likely heard the rumor by now that the Avril Lavigne we knew originally was replaced with a lookalike. The conspiracy theory stems from how Avril’s music and even look changed as she aged. This must have been due to being replaced with her occasional body double, Melissa Vandella, right? After all, Avril would never go from doing punk rock music to something like “Hello Kitty.” Let’s be obvious here for a second. Artists grow and change, which is why their music might reflect that. It is clear we knew Avril starting in her teen years, so once she reaches adulthood there is going to be a change. Not just in her music, but looks as well. Why is this such a problem? Believing stuff like this has caused some people to attack supposed “body doubles” of celebrities in the past. Some even aim to kill the “replacement.”
[Image via UNLV]
Musician B.o.B. and NBA Star Kyrie Irving Believe The Earth Is Flat
While we respect the idea that people do not just want to believe something without proof, the Flat-Earth Theory is absolute garbage. You’re going to tell us that every single planet around us and beyond is round, even moons and stars, yet we’re the only place that isn’t? We can easily even test this using the horizon concept, among many other tests. Therefore, when musical artists like B.o.B. and NBA players like Kyrie Irving come forward telling us they believe in a Flat-Earth. It’s comical. While we can forgive B.o.B. for this… Kyrie, you went to freakin Duke University for a bit! This is one of the best examples of bad celebrity science beliefs to never follow.
[Image via Simour Design]
Suzanne Somers Countless Product and Bad Science Pushes
While many know Suzanne Somers for being the gorgeous mother figure on Step by Step and hot roommate on Three’s Company, she was also a notable model and spokeswoman too. In fact, in the 1990s she was in a ton of advertisements for countless products. Most involved exercise equipment or weight loss products. While most of those products were usually BS fads for the time, it gets worse. Perhaps the worst in her realm of bad celebrity science pushes was Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Somers claimed it manages stress, treats symptoms of perimenopause, and even prevents cancer due to hormones being out of balance. She usually referenced The Wiley Protocol for this, which comes from Teresa S. Wiley. She has absolutely zero medical or scientific training. BHRT does not stop cancer.
[Image via Bobrova Natalia/Shutterstock.com]
Sarah Palin Thinks Evolution Is Nonsense
It is not uncommon to find a religious person who does not believe in evolution for one reason or another, but politicians often steer clear of this topic. Since they have a base that might not believe in it, they want to be appealing to everyone and simply won’t address it. Yet the former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, has never been shy to share her thoughts even when no one asked her. She has claimed that evolution is nonsense. Of course, she has no proof of this and often goes back to it being a “personal belief.” Bad celebrity science beliefs can be shared by politicians too, clearly. The absolute overwhelming evidence of evolution has been clear for years. It is the most widely studied topic in science and has come out on top every single time for a reason.
[Image SvedOliver/Shutterstock.com]
Celebrities And Chemtrails
You might have heard about chemtrails at one point or another in the past. While most people do not really think that much about them, some believe they are incredibly harmful. Why is the government not doing anything about it?!? Kylie Jenner, Hayden Panettiere, Billy Corgan, Roseanne Barr, and Erykah Badu are on record for not “trusting” chemtrails. Of course, the word itself is sort of a nonsense term. It is an alternate word for contrails, which is essentially just condensation trails that last a little longer in the sky. The assumption by some is that planes are leaving harmful chemicals behind, leading to the now infamous “chemtrails” term.
[Image via The Hollywood Reporter]
January Jones and Placenta Pills
Perhaps one of the craziest examples of bad celebrity science beliefs comes from Mad Men star January Jones. She claimed that placenta pills reduce symptoms of post-natal depression. Plus, they provide valuable vitamins and nutrients. Yet this is not really true at all. It is true that other mammals consume their own placenta after birthing their young. However, that does not automatically mean that humans should do the same. There are countless animals that actually eat their own babies, so should we just do everything animals do? These pills essentially offer nothing, but they do contain iron. Which if high enough in your blood, could cause problems if it’s too elevated.
[Image via The New York Times]
Steven Seagal’s Conspiracy About Shootings
Some may point to this as more of a political issue than a scientific one, but it’s actually both. Steven Seagal has been vocal when it comes to spreading his conspiracy theory that most mass shootings are staged. He actually spoke to Russia’s state-owned propaganda network claiming that while he hates to say it, a lot of the shootings are engineered. How is this bad celebrity science? Seagal is pushing a psychological issue in front of the world here. He is adding fuel to a psychological fire that only makes some people act out. Such as going after the families of victims. We’ve seen this with Alex Jones conspiracies in the past, as an example.
[Image via CNN]
The Katy Perry Conspiracy
While the Avril conspiracy was weird, this conspiracy is downright crazy. It also follows the same bad celebrity science connection that Seagal is connected to. In 2016, a conspiracy went viral that claimed JonBenét Ramsey was not murdered. She actually grew up to become Katy Perry! The death was staged by the Freemasons or Illuminati, you know, shadow organization types. Videos on the theory tried to connect everything from Perry’s eyebrows to song lyrics. Of course, this conspiracy is nonsense. When Ramsey was killed in 1996, Perry was not 6. She was 12 at the time, which is far too old to be connected to Ramsey’s passing.
[Image via AL.com]
Roger Moore’s Odd Belief About What Caused Alzheimer’s Disease
Roger Moore is likely best known for playing the role of James Bond from 1973 to 1985. He did a lot of humanitarian work after this but did not appear in any major franchise after Bond. He still acted quite often until he passed away from cancer in 2017. During his life, Moore was known for saying some pretty odd things and having a lot of weird beliefs. Perhaps the dumbest was his stance that foie gras is the cause of Alzheimer’s Disease. Moore began this campaign seemingly from a good place, as he was supporting PETA at the time. Foie gras comes from the livers of a duck or goose, and PETA is all about avoiding harming animals. Therefore, Moore would likely say many things to help that mission.
[Image via Paras Griffin/Getty Images]
Wiz Khalifa Thinks 5G Networks Cause COVID
Likely one of the craziest conspiracies that popped up in the last few years has to do with COVID and 5G Networks. Due to the introduction of 5G taking place at roughly the same time as COVID ramped up in America in 2020, people tried to link them. After all, this was not 4G like before people! We’re now at 5G, so clearly, those networks are coming for you! Wiz Khalifa was likely one of the most vocal about this at first. However, it should be noted that he was not the only person pushing bad celebrity science “facts” about COVID. Celebs pushed a lot of BS, and we’ll likely bring up a few more who did so on this list.
[Image via ParabolStudio/Shutterstock.com]
Ted Nugent’s Global Warming Nonsense
Let’s be frank here. When you’re so connected to a specific political party or state government, you’re likely going to have some extreme bias. Therefore, it is not shocking that Ted Nugent, a rock musician and ultra-conservative, had some interesting comments about climate change. While the term “climate change” and “global warming” often are used interchangeably, the latter is often used by the extreme right. Nugent pushed the idea that “global warming is a fraud” years ago. Of course, this was also the talking point of Republicans in America. Therefore, he likely was not responsible for bad celebrity science initially but he was spreading the same message. Republicans eventually acknowledged the science that climate change was real, but they do not believe mankind is responsible for it.
[Image via Lil Wayne – Twitter]
Donald Trump… Just Where Do We Begin?
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has spread A LOT of false information about pretty much everything. Of course, he did this well before he became President but once he entered the oval office, he took it up a notch. Perhaps there wasn’t a worse source for COVID conspiracies and medical BS than Trump. He often pushed things that could never work for COVID. Stuff that could actually be harmful, such as Ivermectin and other drugs. He once even claimed that if hospitals just stopped claiming people had COVID, it would probably go away. While some bad celebrity science is head-scratching, that is downright insanity.
[Image via History.com]
Stanley Kubrick Helped America Fake The Moon Landing
Most know Stanley Kubrick from his groundbreaking films, especially 2001: A Space Odyssey. The man knew how to bring space adventure to life, as well as other science fiction concepts. Naturally, that means he must have been able to shoot and fake America’s Moon Landing in some Hollywood studio, right? This has been disproven time and time again. Kubrick is not responsible for spreading this bit of bad celebrity science, he’s sadly just connected to the conspiracy. People cite the way light hit the astronauts as “unlikely,” but we’ve even proven how THAT was possible. Plus, NASA even put reflectors on the Moon during their trip. Which can be seen by telescopes from your home, if you know where to look of course. Simply put, it would have actually been impossible for us to fake the moon landing.
[Image via Beyonce]
The CIA Used Queen B To Incite A Race War?
While England may have lost their Queen, America still has theirs. Beyoncé is not responsible for this bit of bad celebrity science, but she is connected to a horrible myth. The conspiracy goes that the CIA actually enlisted Beyoncé to write a record for her 2016 album known as Lemonade, which they hoped would start a race war in the United States. The CIA apparently approached her about promoting “urban terrorism” through her music. It would be done through sending political messages via her music during both her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance and “Hold Up” music video. Of course, it is claimed by conspiracy theorists that her lyrics were put in place to push young people into fighting against the police and the establishment. How messed up in the head does one need to be to buy into this?
[Image via NBCUniversal/Getty Images]
Joe Rogan Seeming To Give Attention To The Bad
One thing we can respect about Joe Rogan is that he does not like to judge. He will bring people on he agrees with as well as those that he could not disagree with more. Yet he’ll still speak with each person the same way, and hold both accountable. However, while this might be respectable, it also spreads into his popular podcast too. This means he gives everything a fair shake, even the BS stuff. For example, when Rogan was dealing with COVID, he referenced using Ivermectin, monoclonal antibodies, Z-pack antibiotics, and a vitamin drip. It should be noted antibiotics do not treat viruses, and both vitamins and antibodies would take much longer to work than the virus would likely be in his system. Even then, it would not treat or cure a virus. Which was spreading bad celebrity science beliefs.
[Image via Evan Agostini Invision/Associated Press]
Kanye West’s Numerous Government Conspiracies
While most know Kanye West for his music, we also know him for the rants and idiocy he has spread over the years. Recently, he was a big Trump Supporter who claimed slavery was “a choice.” In the past though, he claimed that the United States Government “created HIV/AIDS to kill black and gay people.” It should be noted that HIV/AIDS first sparked up in the African/Middle Eastern region. On top of that, the idea that the government could “create” a virus and somehow spread it around has been a fun talking point for conspiracy theorists. Yet this is not actually possible, especially for something like HIV/AIDS. Considering this is not an airborne virus and takes sexual or blood contact to spread. Plus, you cannot spread a virus that only targets specific sects of humans.
[Image via Tinseltown/Shutterstock.com]
Tom Cruise Hates Psychiatry
We find it pretty ironic that Tom Cruise seems to absolutely despise psychiatry. Cruise has long been connected to Scientology, a religion invented by the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Most of what Cruise said in the media several years ago seemed to come right out of Hubbard’s mouth. The Church of Scientology oddly dislikes a lot of science, so they push for their celebrity members to be vocal about this stuff. Thus, Cruise claimed psychiatry was pseudoscience, which is clearly untrue. He also claimed Brooke Shields was irresponsible in taking medication for post-natal depression, a real disorder many women face. Not to mention Tom’s claim that chemical imbalances overall are not real. Cruise’s spreading of bad celebrity science beliefs is legendarily insane, but he has stopped this mostly.
[Image via The New Yorker]
Dr. Oz And The Abundant, No Good, Rotten, Horrible, Bad Celebrity Science Myths
We’re actually not sure where to start here. It should be first noted that Dr. Mehmet Oz is actually a very good cardiologist who at one point was one of the best in his profession in the world. This allowed him to be given the opportunity to host his own medical show, especially since his background wasn’t faked for television but actually true. Yet nearly 70% of the products or concepts Dr. Oz spoke about and touted on his show were complete BS. He consistently promoted health solutions to some of America’s most notable issues, which were unproven and even dangerous. GMO misinformation and miracle weight loss supplements to green coffee extract and numerous pseudoscience, Dr. Oz is a beacon for bad celebrity science information. Avoid this show at all costs!
[Image via FOX]
Jenny McCarthy’s Anti-Vaccine Nonsense
We should first make people aware that Jenny McCarthy is a celebrity mother who does care a lot about her child. Her child is also autistic, and she seemed to notice the presence of his autism after early vaccinations. Therefore, it is understandable that she might want to connect the two as a good mother. Yet autism is not caused by autism and there is no proof of it. Jenny often cites a paper from the 1990s that claimed vaccines can cause autism or other mental disorders. Nearly everyone involved in that paper has since come out against it. McCarthy has no scientific background of her own to prove any link but believes it anyway. However, you have someone like Big Bang Theory star Dr. Mayim Bialik who has a doctorate in neuroscience. Yet she is also anti-vaccine and buys into the BS.
[Image via David Fisher/Shutterstock.com]
Oprah Winfrey’s Decision To Give Junk Science A Huge Spotlight
We respect Oprah Winfrey for all she has accomplished. From her famous talk show to the success of her television network and multiple other business ventures. If there is one woman that other women can look to as a role model, Oprah is that person. However, Oprah has been a big problem in the world of conspiracy theories because she allows junk science to be promoted on her show or network. She put the spotlight on Dr. Oz and helped to create Dr. Phil. She gave Jenny McCarthy her platform for spreading misinformation on vaccines too. If there is anyone responsible for the spread of bad celebrity science over the years, it’s sadly Oprah.
SOURCES:
United States House of Representatives
National Institutes of Health
Harvard University
Mayo Clinic
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
National Public Radio (NPR)
Public Broadcasting Company (PBS)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Snopes
The Independent
New York Daily News
Page Six
VOX Media