Verdict: False

The letter is a fabrication and originates from a website known for publishing satire.

Fact Check:

The alleged letter started recirculating after Connery, an actor known for portraying James Bond, died Oct. 31 at the age of 90. In the letter, Connery purportedly declines an offer to participate in an Apple advertisement in 1998.

“I will say this one more time. You do understand English, don’t you?” Connery allegedly wrote. “I do not sell my soul for Apple or any other company. I have no interest in ‘changing the world’ as you suggest. You have nothing that I need or want. You are a computer salesman — I am f****** JAMES BOND!” (RELATED: Did CS Lewis Give This Advice On Starting Over?)

However, the letter is fabricated. Check Your Fact traced it back to an article published on Scoopertino, a website that describes itself as “an imaginary news organization devoted to ferreting out the most relevant stories in the world of Apple, whether or not they actually occurred.” Other satirical articles on Scoopertino bear headlines such as “Apple buys Yosemite Park to promote new OS X” and “VATICAN SHOCKER: Cardinals tap Siri as next pope.”

The letter first went viral on Twitter in 2011 after British marketing executive John Willshire shared the letter, believing it was real, CNET reported. Willshire later sent a tweet clarifying that the letter was fake and he had been fooled, according to the outlet.