Anyone—absolutely anyone—who becomes famous gets far more judgment and scrutiny than if they never stepped into the spotlight in the first place. Some criticism is obviously valid and taking responsibility for your actions should be the norm. However, inevitably, stars and public figures have many rumors spring up about them and what they do, some of which are completely fake while others later turn out to be (partly) true.

Entrepreneur, content creator, and social influencer Country (@countryazhell) recently went viral on Threads, Instagram’s app where you can share public conversations, after asking folks to share the celebrity rumors they “100% believe but can’t prove.” Scroll down to see their opinions and to get a general feel for how both fans and haters view some stars and public figures.

We reached out to the author of the viral online thread, Country, and he was kind enough to answer our questions about what inspired him to start the discussion, why celeb rumors are so popular, as well as where the line lies when it comes to speculating about public figures. You’ll find Bored Panda’s full interview with Country, including his thoughts about the fluidity of reality in modern times, as you read on.

Just keep in mind that these are unsubstantiated claims and people speculating just for fun.

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Bored Panda was very curious to hear about the initial inspiration behind the viral thread. According to Country, he was inspired by trending topics, “Especially in the music industry, politics, and pop culture. It feels like every day, there’s a new scandal or rumor being debated, whether it’s about someone like Diddy or what’s happening in Washington. Everyone has an opinion, and I enjoy creating content that encourages people to share their thoughts.”

Country opened up to us about how his background reflects this passion. “I’ve worked on impactful campaigns like the Food and Drug Administration’s Fresh Empire initiative, which used hip-hop culture to connect with multicultural Gen Z audiences. I’ve also had the honor of working with high-profile clients like the Super Bowl and Oprah Winfrey, all where my focus was creating culturally resonant content,” he shared with us via email.

“I love crafting content that gets people talking, whether it’s about something they’ve seen in the headlines or a wild ‘what if’ scenario. Seeing how creative people get with their responses and how widely opinions can vary is always surprising. As for the rumors themselves, some of them made me think twice, others are so crazy they’re funny. It’s entertaining to see where people’s imaginations take them.”

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Meanwhile, we wanted to get Country’s opinion on why celebrity rumors are so enjoyable—plus where the line is drawn when it comes to (not) spreading certain rumors. He shed some light on these issues for us.

“I think people these days are less focused on whether something is true and more interested in the tea itself. It’s less about facts and more about having a story to share. From fake news to advances in AI, and even the curated lives we see on social media, reality has become a fluid concept, truth almost doesn’t matter anymore,” he told Bored Panda.

“Keanu Reeves once shared an anecdote about explaining The Matrix to a group of teenagers who have never seen it. When he talked about a character questioning reality, one of the kids asked, ‘Why should I care?’ That perfectly reflects the state of the world now. People care about intrigue and relatability more than facts.”

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That being said, Country still believes that there is a line when it comes to rumors. “Speculation should be fun, not harmful. Spreading something that could be damaging crosses that line. There’s a difference between engaging in comedic curiosity and perpetuating something malicious,” he said.

“My goal with Threads is to create spaces where people feel encouraged to share their thoughts and connect over humor, curiosity, and relatability. It’s been amazing to watch how conversations can grow, and I look forward to continuing to engage with my followers in meaningful and entertaining ways. People can find me across social media at @countryazhell.” If you like this type of content, be sure to check out Country’s social media profiles on Threads and Instagram!

One study from 2016 that looked at how people orient to and spread rumors on social media found that rumors that are ultimately proven true tend to be resolved faster than those that turn out to be false.

“Whilst one can readily see users denying rumors once they have been debunked, users appear to be less capable of distinguishing true from false rumors when their veracity remains in question. In fact, we show that the prevalent tendency for users is to support every unverified rumor,” the authors of the study explain, arguing for a need to develop “robust” machine learning techniques that can provide real-time assistance when assessing the veracity of claims.

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Gossiping, spreading and listening to rumors, and judging others are fundamentally human traits. In short, there probably won’t ever be a time when people stop gossiping because it’s as enjoyable as it is informative… at least potentially. There are pros and cons to gossip.

On the upside, gossiping and being judgmental are ways to stay informed about important events in your community, evaluate who is (not) trustworthy, and remind yourself of what values and norms society prioritizes, as well as what behaviors are considered taboo. It’s how you maintain cohesion in communities.

But there are plenty of downsides to gossiping, too.

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One major downside is that it’s often hard to immediately tell whether a rumor is real or not. Especially in the digital age, where information spreads so quickly that debunking fake news is a constant struggle.

On top of that, you have to consider that many rumors are spread not out of goodwill or the desire to inform the public.

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There’s often an element of envy, anger, and a desire to ‘punish’ someone in the spotlight. For instance, some folks might feel envious of the biggest stars in Hollywood earning billions of dollars with their successful projects.

Or someone might have a clear bias or a specific agenda, so they lash out at celebrities to advance their goals, whatever they might be.

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So, while inevitable, gossip shouldn’t be taken lightly. You shouldn’t rush to believe rumors—any rumors—just because you see them on your social media feed.

A good rule of thumb is to be suspicious of anything that sounds too good or too bad to be true. Always double-check and cross-reference information with multiple reliable sources if you stumble across an outlandish claim.

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Of course, nobody has the time or energy to verify every single piece of iffy or improbable-sounding information. So it’s best to have a list of sources in mind that you can refer to when needed (e.g., Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, the BBC, etc.).

While all sources inevitably make mistakes, trustworthy sources always make corrections, explain where they got their information from, and avoid making baseless rumors.

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As we’ve covered previously, people judge others both consciously and automatically. For some, finding flaws in others is a way to feel superior and better about their choices in life. For others, it’s how they recognize where they fit into society, what aspirations they have, and who they might (not) want to become as people.

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If used sparingly and consciously, judging other people can help you make the right choices in life and align your goals, values, and actions.

However, if you’re doing this just to pull others down to feel better about your personal flaws and mistakes, that’s a line you shouldn’t overstep.

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What do you do to double-check any bizarre rumors about public figures and stars, dear Pandas? Are there any unverified claims about celebs that you personally believe? If so, why? What is the weirdest rumor you’ve heard recently? If you have a spare moment, you can share your thoughts in the comments.

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