No, Elon Musk is not suing Whoopi Goldberg, 'The View' for $1 billion | Fact check
The claim: Elon Musk is suing Whoopi Goldberg, ‘The View’ for $1 billion
A Jan. 20 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a photo of Tesla CEO Elon Musk alongside a photo of actress and “The View” talk show host Whoopi Goldberg.
“Elon Musk sues Whoopi Goldberg and ‘The View’ for a Billion Dollars,” the text at the bottom of the pictures reads.
The caption adds a quote from Musk: “‘They’re lying about me,’ says Elon.”
The post was shared more than 300 times on Facebook in over a week.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: False
There is no credible evidence that Musk is suing Goldberg or "The View." While the post is not identified as satire, similar claims have been shared by satirical websites.
'The View' has criticized Musk in the past, but he hasn't pushed back with a lawsuit
The Facebook page that posted the claim added a link to a purported news article about Musk, Goldberg and "The View." The story, published Jan. 20, states that Goldberg criticized Musk's plan to colonize Mars as a "billionaire's escape plan from a dying Earth."
According to the story, Musk responded with a $1 billion lawsuit against the host and the show.
If that sounds too far-fetched to be true, that's because it is. While Goldberg has criticized Musk on the show about topics such as his acquisition of X, formerly Twitter, there are no credible reports that Musk retaliated against her and the show with a lawsuit.
Fact check: False claim Starbucks changed its name to 'Vista Coffee'
While the article is not identified as satire, similar stories have also been published by SpaceXMania and Dunning-Kruger Times, both of which are satirical websites.
Paste BN reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Reuters fact-checked a similar claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- SpaceXMania.com, April 2023, Just in: Elon Musk Files A Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against The View And Whoopi Goldberg
- The Dunning-Kruger Times, accessed Jan. 30, Elon Musk Files $60 Million Suit Against Whoopi and The View: "They Never Stop Lying About Me"
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
Paste BN is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.