In the entertainment world, rumors spread like wildfire, igniting discussions that can capture the attention of millions. One recent story has fueled heated debate, drawing fans and industry insiders into a frenzy. The claim? That actor Mark Wahlberg turned down a massive $2 billion Disney movie due to the company’s “wokeness.”
It’s a bold, attention-grabbing headline that, on the surface, sounds dramatic and plausible enough to be real. But in an age where rumors often walk a fine line between fact and fiction, it’s critical to take a closer look at the sources. Here’s what really happened!
Did Mark Wahlberg Really Reject A 2 Billion Dollar Disney Offer?
The rumor began to swirl in early September 2024, when a meme surfaced on the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub, claiming that Mark Wahlberg had rejected a $2 billion Disney project (via Snopes). The supposed reason? Wahlberg allegedly said, “No chance I’ll work with them again, don’t need that wokeness in my life.”
However, a quick investigation into the legitimacy of this claim reveals that there is no credible evidence to support the notion that Wahlberg was ever in talks with Disney for a $2 billion project.
A Google search for the quote attributed to Wahlberg or any related news about this supposed project turned up nothing but reposts of the meme and satirical articles from sites like Esspots.com, which, notably, specializes in satire and parody.
How Did the Rumor About Mark Wahlberg Spread?
Despite the clear markers of satire, the rumor gained a life of its own, and by September 9, 2024, a Spanish-language post on X translating the meme had garnered hundreds and thousands of views. The sheer reach of the meme speaks to the power of social media to amplify even the most outlandish claims.
While some users were quick to recognize it for the joke it was intended to be, others took it seriously. It’s a pattern that underscores how easily a humorous post can spiral into a widely believed myth when shared without context.
Esspots, the website where the meme originated, makes its satirical intentions clear. Their About page even refers to their content as “fake news and absurdity,” yet in a world where headlines are often skimmed and not thoroughly examined, it’s easy to see how such posts can be taken at face value.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
