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.
Claim
Photos show actor Aishwarya Rai with London-based businessman Vatche Manoukian after she marries again following her alleged divorce from Abhishek Bachchan.
Fact
The viral photos are edited.
Several social media users are circulating a set of images, claiming they are from actor Aishwarya Rai’s wedding to a London-based businessman following her purported divorce from Abhishek Bachchan. The posts have gone viral amid rumours surrounding the couple, previously speculated to be facing issues after separate arrivals at events.
Fact Check
Newschecker noticed that the viral photos seem to be altered, considering the difference in the image quality across the photos and that the man’s face had the same, fixed expression, suggesting it was overlaid onto the pictures. Moreover, we did not come across any news reports about such a wedding nor a divorce, further indicating that the images were digitally altered.
Images 1 and 2
Newschecker ran a reverse image search of the first photo, which led us to this Vogue article, dated September 17, 2020, featuring Aishwarya Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan at a Diwali party from 2016. A reverse image search of the viral photo of the two holding hands led us to this Filmfare article, dated April 20, 2019, featuring another photo of Rai and Bachchan from the same Diwali event in 2016.
A comparison of the images confirms that the viral photos (left) are edited.
Image 3
Newschecker ran a reverse image search, which led us to this Variety photo feature, dated May 22, 2014, featuring a photo of the two from the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala.
A comparison shows that the viral photo (left) was horizontally flipped and edited.
We also ran the link of the article attached to the viral Facebook posts past Scam Detector, an online fraud prevention resource, which deemed the website as “Untrustworthy. Risky. Danger.”
“The algorithm detected high-risk activity related to phishing, spamming, and other factors noted in the Untrustworthy. Risky. Danger. tags above. Long story short, we recommend staying away from this website…,” read the tool’s review of the website.
Who is the man in the viral photos?
Newscheker learnt that the man in the viral images is London-based businessman Vatche Manoukian, who was in the news earlier this year for reportedly leading a group of investors to become the latest contender to plot a takeover bid at Everton football club.
Conclusion
Edited photos of Aishwarya Rai with London businessman go viral amid divorce rumours.
Result: Altered Media
Source
Scam Detector
Vogue article, September 17, 2020
Filmfare article, April 20, 2019
Variety article, May 22, 2014
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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.
