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FALSE CLAIM: ROBERT IRWIN DID NOT REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN “DANCING WITH THE STARS” PRIDE NIGHT
A viral claim circulating on social media in October 2025 alleged that Robert Irwin, son of the late conservationist Steve Irwin, refused to participate in a “Pride Night” on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” After thorough investigation, this claim has been determined to be entirely false.
The fabricated story began spreading across Facebook in mid-October, with posts claiming that Irwin had stated: “This show should focus only on dance and performances, not on political issues or social movements.” These posts quickly gained traction, with many linking to advertisement-heavy WordPress blogs on domains like flowfitdaily.info.
However, no credible news organizations or entertainment outlets have reported any such statement from Irwin. Additionally, “Dancing with the Stars,” which welcomed Irwin to its 34th season cast in fall 2025, had already announced its themed nights for the season in September, with no LGBTQ+ or Pride-themed episode on the schedule.
This false narrative appears to be part of a coordinated misinformation campaign designed to generate advertising revenue through clickbait stories. The Facebook page “Irwin Legacy,” which initially posted the claim on October 16, followed up with two contradictory posts about Irwin’s supposed stance on LGBTQ+ issues. On October 19, the page claimed Irwin “stunned the world” by refusing to wear a rainbow patch, while just one day later, they posted that Irwin had sparked “a massive wave of reactions” with his support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The reality stands in stark contrast to these fabrications. Irwin has previously expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, he described himself as “an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community” in an Instagram post. During a 2024 interview with Australian journalist Matthew Myers, Irwin mentioned having gay friends while discussing his affinity for ABBA.
This type of celebrity misinformation has become increasingly common on social media platforms. The same network of sites has produced numerous false stories about celebrities and athletes, all designed to drive traffic to ad-laden websites through sensationalist headlines and fabricated controversies.
Media literacy experts warn that these tactics exploit emotional responses to cultural wedge issues, using public figures to amplify divisive content. The pattern typically involves creating fictional statements on hot-button social topics, attributing them to celebrities with broad appeal, and then monetizing the resulting engagement through advertising.
“These fabricated controversies are designed to provoke strong emotional reactions,” explains Dr. Melissa Zimdars, associate professor of media studies at Merrimack College. “They exploit the trust people have in familiar personalities like Robert Irwin to drive clicks and shares, regardless of accuracy.”
Facebook’s content moderation policies technically prohibit such misinformation, but enforcement remains challenging due to the volume and sophistication of these operations. Users are encouraged to verify celebrity statements through official accounts or credible news sources before sharing.
The production of false celebrity news remains a profitable enterprise, with other recent examples including debunked claims about Taylor Swift’s pregnancy and fabricated statements from Jason Kelce about his brother’s fiancée.
As of publication, representatives for Robert Irwin had not responded to requests for comment on the false claims. “Dancing with the Stars” continues to air its 34th season with Irwin among its contestants, focusing on dance performances rather than manufactured controversies.
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14 Comments
Ah, another case of a fabricated social media story going viral. I’m glad the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ claim about Robert Irwin was proven false. It’s a good reminder to always fact-check before believing something, especially when it comes to controversial or politically-charged issues.
Well, that’s disappointing to see this false claim about Robert Irwin circulating on social media. Good on the fact-checkers for taking the time to thoroughly investigate and debunk it. We all need to be more vigilant about verifying information, especially when it comes to potentially controversial issues.
This is an interesting fact check on the Robert Irwin story. It’s concerning how quickly misinformation can spread online, often driven by a desire for clicks and ad revenue rather than reporting the truth. Kudos to the fact-checkers for setting the record straight.
Appreciate the thorough investigation and debunking of the false claim about Robert Irwin. It’s a good reminder to always verify information, especially when it comes to potentially controversial topics. Kudos to the fact-checkers for their diligence.
Well, that’s disappointing to see this false claim about Robert Irwin circulating. Nice work by the fact-checkers in refuting it. Social media can be a breeding ground for misinformation, so it’s important to be cautious and verify details before spreading stories, even if they seem plausible.
This is an interesting fact check on the Robert Irwin ‘Dancing with the Stars’ story. Glad to see the claim was determined to be false – it’s concerning how quickly misinformation can spread online these days, often driven by a desire for clicks and ad revenue rather than reporting the truth.
Ah, another case of a fabricated social media story going viral. I’m glad the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ claim about Robert Irwin was proven false. It just goes to show how important it is to fact-check before believing and sharing information, especially on sensitive topics.
Ah, another case of a fabricated social media story going viral. I’m glad the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ claim about Robert Irwin was proven false. It just goes to show how important it is to fact-check before believing and sharing information, especially on sensitive topics.
Good to see a thorough investigation debunking this false narrative about Robert Irwin. It’s concerning how easily misinformation can spread online these days, often with the intent of generating ad revenue rather than reporting facts. Kudos to the fact-checkers for setting the record straight.
Interesting to see this fact check on the Robert Irwin ‘Dancing with the Stars’ claim. It’s a shame to see misinformation spreading so easily online, often driven by a desire for clicks and revenue rather than reporting the truth. Kudos to the fact-checkers for setting the record straight.
Interesting fact check on the Robert Irwin story. It’s disappointing to see misinformation spreading so easily online, often driven by a desire for clicks and revenue rather than reporting the truth. Kudos to the fact-checkers for taking the time to thoroughly investigate and debunk this claim.
Glad to see this false claim about Robert Irwin and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ was refuted. It’s a good reminder that we can’t always trust what we see on social media, and that it’s important to fact-check before believing and sharing information, no matter how plausible it may seem.
Interesting fact check on the Robert Irwin ‘Dancing with the Stars’ claim. Glad to see it was refuted as false – seems like yet another case of misinformation spreading on social media for clicks and ad revenue. Important to stay vigilant and verify claims before believing them.
Appreciate the thorough investigation and debunking of the false claim about Robert Irwin. It’s a good reminder to always verify information, especially when it comes to potentially controversial topics. Kudos to the fact-checkers for setting the record straight.