FACT CHECK: No, Ben Stiller Wasn’t Paid $4 Million To Take Photos With Zelensky

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A post shared on X claims actor Ben Stiller was paid $4 million to take photos with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Stiller was paid $4 million by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to take photos with Zelensky.

Fact Check:

Social media users are claiming that Stiller was paid $4 million to take photos with the Ukrainian president. One user wrote,”Ben Stiller was paid $4 million by USAID to take these photos w/ Zelensky.”

This claim is false. There is no evidence that Stiller was paid $4 million by USAID. Check Your Fact could not find any media outlets reporting this. The claim originates from a fake video, according to BBC Verify reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh.

“This viral thread by a QAnon promoter has over 10 million views, huge engagenemt and no community note. But it’s total nonsense. The thread is copied from a fake E! News video created by a Russian influence operation that imitates major news outlets to disparage Ukraine,” Sardarizadeh tweeted.

Stiller himself denied the claim in a Feb. 5 tweet. (RELATED: Did Trump Sign An Executive Order Stopping All New Funds To The UNRWA?)

“These are lies coming from Russian media. I completely self-funded my humanitarian trip to Ukraine. There was no funding from USAID and certainly no payment of any kind. [100] percent false,” Stiller’s tweet reads. 

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
Follow Elias on Twitter Have a fact check suggestion? Send ideas to [email protected].

Trending

FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Falsely Claims John Bolton Was Arrested
FACT CHECK: Threads Post Does Not Show Female Pilot Involved In Recent Black Hawk Helicopter Crash
FACT CHECK: No, China Did Not Raise Tariffs On US By 75%
FACT CHECK: Viral X Post Falsely Claims Jo Ellis Was Pilot Of Black Hawk Helicopter Involved In Fatal Crash