Viral Ben Shapiro “Sister” Screenshots Confirmed as Fabrications

Social media users have been circulating alleged screenshots of conservative commentator Ben Shapiro making inappropriate comments about his sister for years, but a thorough investigation has confirmed these posts are entirely fabricated.

The screenshots, which have spread widely across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok, purportedly show Shapiro making comments about having a “beautiful” and “hot” sister, including statements that he “stares at her pictures for hours” and other inappropriate remarks of a more disturbing nature.

Fact-checkers at Snopes have conclusively rated these claims as fake after investigating the origin and authenticity of the screenshots. While Shapiro does indeed have a sister named Abby Roth (formerly Shapiro) who is pictured in some of the fabricated posts, he never made the comments attributed to him in these widely shared images.

One particularly viral fake screenshot showed Shapiro allegedly writing: “Look how beautiful my sister looks. Simply glowing. I’ve literally been staring at these photos for hours.” The post included two images of Roth wearing a light blue dress. However, digital forensics analysis revealed these weren’t even authentic photos of Roth, but rather doctored versions of pictures originally taken at a baby shower.

KnowYourMeme.com documented how these manipulated images spread rapidly online despite being photoshopped. Through reverse image searches, investigators traced the likely origin of this particular fabrication to a February 2022 post on the Reddit community r/196. Shortly afterward, a TikTok user whose followers had noted her resemblance to Roth further amplified the fake content.

A second fabricated screenshot that has circulated since at least 2020 features even more inappropriate alleged comments from Shapiro about “having a hot sister” and inappropriate behavior, using this fabricated scenario to make a political argument against homosexuality and transgender rights. This particular fake screenshot appears to have first gained significant traction when posted to the Reddit community r/ToiletPaperUSA in September 2020.

While these posts are fabrications, Shapiro has made legitimate, public references to his three younger sisters, including Abby Roth. In genuine posts, he has expressed pride in Roth’s accomplishments as a professional soprano with classical training, noting her “full opera scholarship at USC” and “master’s in opera from Manhattan School of Music.” Shapiro has shared videos of her musical performances, including a rendition of the U.S. national anthem.

The spread of these fabricated screenshots highlights ongoing challenges with misinformation on social media platforms, where manipulated content can quickly gain traction and persist for years. Digital literacy experts continue to emphasize the importance of verifying sources and being skeptical of inflammatory content, particularly when it aligns with existing biases against public figures.

Snopes reported reaching out to both Shapiro and Roth for comment on the fabricated posts but had not received responses at the time of publication. The fact-checking organization noted they would update their reporting if either individual provided statements regarding the manipulated content.

This is not the first time Shapiro has been the target of fabricated social media posts. Previous investigations have uncovered other fake screenshots attributed to him, including alleged comments about his sister and actress Sydney Sweeney, reflecting a pattern of manipulated content designed to damage his reputation.