Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Hollywood actor Robert De Niro shows his support for Israel as he lashes out at a group of pro-Palestinian protesters.
Fact
Viral video is from rehearsal for an upcoming TV show. The actor’s speech was from the show’s script and not related to the protests around the Israel-Hamas war.
A video, claiming to show veteran Hollywood actor Robert De Niro confronting a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in New York, has gone viral on social media recently. According to the claims, De Niro is supporting Israel, saying, “This is not a movie, this is life! It would be better if they went to work instead of talking nonsense. They (Hamas) say they are ready to repeat (October 7). Is this really what you want? No! And no one wants to! So stop fooling around”.
The video has gone viral amid reports of student protests over the Israel-Hamas war at many college campuses across the US after being inspired by demonstrators at Columbia University.
The archived version of the tweet can be seen here.
Fact
Newschecker first ran a keyword search for “Robert De Niro Israel”, which led us to multiple news reports on the viral clip, stating that it was taken during the filming of a TV show.
The veteran actor was actually rehearsing a new Netflix show on location, his representative Stan Rosenfield confirmed to Variety. “What was seen was erroneous reports of Robert De Niro supposedly yelling at a group of anti-Israeli protesters,” Rosenfield reportedly said, adding, “De Niro’s lines were 100% scripted. The video was a small snippet from a rehearsal scene from the Netflix series ‘Zero Day‘, which was being filmed on the streets of New York, April 27, where the character played by De Niro is confronting a group (all paid extras).”
A Netflix spokesperson, too, told CNN that the video was shot “during an on-location rehearsal” for the series “Zero Day,” on April 27. Netflix reportedly confirmed that De Niro’s speech was from the show’s script and unrelated to the demonstrations around the Israel-Hamas war.
Also Read: Viral Video Claiming To Show Murder Of Goldy Brar Is Old And Unrelated
Conclusion
Viral video shows on-location rehearsal of a scene from an upcoming TV show, not Robert De Niro lashing out at anti-Israel protesters.
Result: False
Sources
Variety report, May 1, 2024
CNN report, May 1, 2024
AP report, May 1, 2024
If you would like us to fact-check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form. Follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates
Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
