False Story About Magic Johnson Is Going Viral

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A false story about former NBA superstar Magic Johnson spread on Twitter early this week.

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A parody sports media account said the NBA Hall of Famer recently donated blood to "help underprivileged communities fight COVID-19."

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Contents of the Story

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This account uses an old photo of Johnson getting a routine blood draw at a doctor's appointment.

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“The image of a doctor taking blood from Johnson's arm is from the 2012 PBS Frontline documentary 'Endgame: AIDS in Black America.'" fact-checkers at The Associated Press report.

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Very few people in the NBA World believed this false message.

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Finally, Johnson himself took to Twitter to deny this fabricated story.

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"I’m aware of the false story circling the internet, and to be clear, I have never donated blood," he wrote.

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Johnson famously affirmed his HIV diagnosis ahead of the 1991-92 NBA season.

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The Red Cross does not accept blood donations from people who have ever had a positive HIV test.

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