FACT CHECK: Did Leonardo DiCaprio Donate $10 Million To Support Ukraine Through The International Visegrad Fund?
A Facebook post claims the International Visegrad Fund (IVF) announced that actor Leonardo DiCaprio had donated $10 million to support Ukraine.
Verdict: Misleading
While DiCaprio has donated to humanitarian organizations during the conflict, the amount is not equal to $10 million and the donations were not given to the IVF, according to the Associated Press and Business Insider.
Fact Check:
The Facebook post claims DiCaprio, an American actor renowned for his roles in films such as “Titanic” and “The Wolf of Wallstreet,” has donated $10 million to support Ukraine and that the donation was received and announced by the IVF. “His now deceased maternal grandmother was born in Odessa, Ukraine but immigrated to Germany in 1917,” explains the post.
The IVF is an organization that was created to “promote regional cooperation” in Eastern and Central Europe and grants awards and scholarships to those who “will become the catalyst for the advancement of innovative ideas,” according to its website.
The report is inaccurate. None of IVF’s news releases or social media posts mention DiCaprio, or any other American celebrity, donating $10 million in support of Ukraine. Likewise, none of DiCaprio’s social media accounts mention any donations to a specific organization intended for Ukrainian relief.
The fund appeared to address the viral rumor in a March 8 Facebook post.
“Nowadays, fake news are present in any form and shape,” reads part of the post. “For example, some media outlets informed today that the International Visegrad Fund announced a USD 10 million donation from a famous American actor to help Ukraine.” (RELATED: Is This Leaked Footage Of The War Between Russia And Ukraine?)
While the IVF has not announced any donation stemming from DiCaprio, the actor has donated to various humanitarian organizations providing support to the war-torn country, according to the Associated Press. Both the Associated Press and Business Insider reported that, according to sources close to the actor, the amount donated to these organizations did not equal $10 million. Both outlets also noted that he has no familial ties to Ukraine.
“Leo had privately made several donations to humanitarian groups — CARE, IRC, UNHCR and Save the Children. All directed at Ukraine,” a source close to DiCaprio told People Magazine. “He had been watching things unfold and wanted to support Ukraine the best he could. He will continue to support the humanitarian groups on the ground which are helping the people of Ukraine.”