An image posted on Instagram claims actor James Franco said, “Coronavirus kills 3,000 people and we lose our shit. Obesity kills ~300,000 people annually and we come out with a new flavor of Doritos.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Facts???????? – Follow @republicangang for more conservative content daily!???????? – Follow @republicangang ???????? Follow @republicangang ???????? Follow @republicangang ???????? – (ignore tags) #republicanmemes #womenfortrump #republicanparty #trump2020????????#trumptrain #MAGA #democratssuck #sleepyjoe #crookedhillary #benshapiro #republicangang #fakenews #blacksfortrump #conservative #igotyoursix #fakenewscnn #libtards #backtheblue #alllivesmatter #donaldtrump2020 #buildthewall #keepamericagreatagain #rightwingmemes #countryrepublican #students4trump #changemymind #stevencrowder #rightwing #liberalssuck #Bluelivesmatter

A post shared by Trump 2020 (@republicangang) on Sep 22, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

Verdict: False

There is no record of Franco ever making the statement attributed to him.

Fact Check:

Franco, an actor and director, is known for several blockbuster films such as the 2010 film “127 Hours” and the 2017 movie “The Disaster Artist.” In recent weeks, social media users on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have shared a statement, purportedly from the actor, comparing reactions to COVID-19 deaths and deaths from obesity.

“Coronavirus kills 3,000 people and we lose our shit,” Franco allegedly said. “Obesity kills ~300,000 people annually and we come out with a new flavor of Doritos.” (RELATED: Viral Image Claims Bodies Infected With COVID-19 In New York Become Property Of State, Get Incinerated)

Check Your Fact found no evidence of Franco making such a remark. He currently doesn’t maintain verified Twitter, Instagram or Facebook pages. Credible media outlets also do not appear to have attributed the comment to Franco.

“James never said this,” Franco’s publicist, Robin Baum, confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact.

As of press time, COVID-19 has killed over 204,000 people in the U.S., per the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. Obesity poses a greater risk to those who contract the disease, increasing the chances of hospitalization and death from the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.