Chuck Woolery tweeted covid wasnt real, his son tested positive, he left Twitter
As a child of the 80s who watched Love Connection and The Dating Game with my mother every week, it was disheartening to see host Chuck Woolery tweeting conspiracy theories. It is like all the “cool white people” from the 80s and 90s are turning out to be closet racists and tin hat enthusiasts.
What’s tragic about Woolery specifically was his belief that the Coronavirus was a hoax, until his son contracted it. It is becoming increasingly dangerous that people with a large audience are regurgitating this falsehood and refusing to look at scientific information that contradicts their beliefs.
Chuck became Twitter famous when the Cheeto in Chief retweeted his post that “everyone is lying about the coronavirus,” but deactivated his twitter account a day later after he confirmed his son’s positive coronavirus status.
Woolery, 79, first gained online attention on Sunday when President Donald Trump retweeted his tweet about “outrageous lies” surrounding coronavirus.
In a tweet that lives on digital archive websites, the former Wheel of Fortune host wrote: “The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it.”
Days after the claim, Woolery revealed that his son had been diagnosed with coronavirus, tweeting on Wednesday, “To further clarify and add perspective, Covid-19 is real and it is here.”
“My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones,” he said in a tweet, which was cached on an archival site.
A spokesperson for Woolery tells PEOPLE on Friday that the musician “temporarily suspended” his account because he “just wanted a break from it.”
The representative adds that Woolery’s son is “fine” and has “zero symptoms.”
Woolery briefly touched on his son’s diagnosis during Thursday’s episode of his podcast Blunt Force Truth, saying that he “never said Covid was a hoax” in his controversial tweet.
“There’s nowhere I used ‘hoax’ or ‘it’s not real’ or anything like that. I just said we’ve been lied to,” Woolery said. “My son has it, so hopefully he’s fine.”
It’s unclear when the episode was recorded.
I don’t know why people still believe this virus is a hoax. Do they honestly think that numbers are make-believe? Is everyone in on the conspiracy? Perhaps since the virus is impacting certain communities they just don’t know anyone who has had it or died from it.
It’s great that Chuck retracted his statement but his tweet had already been shared with all of Trump’s followers. He, in one tweet, legitimized the conspiracy theories. I hope going forward that celebrities will think twice about what they say because their shared views can have real consequences.
I do wish that Woolery’s son has a speedy recovery and I hope that Chuck has learned a massive lesson in the process. As far as those who still believe that coronavirus is a hoax, well, there’s not much I can do about that.
Life comes at you fast #ChuckWoolery People say his account is suspended for falsifying information about the virus. Wrong! He erased his account because he’s been blaming Democrats for the virus and downplaying it’s seriousness. Until… his own son got it. Karma is a bitch pic.twitter.com/jQ9S69MjOD
— Richie Mercado Rivera (@LouisRi77606493) July 16, 2020
The hard truth is that it didn’t have to be this bad, but Donald Trump ignored the experts and refused to take action. He has failed our nation. pic.twitter.com/WAhigUtsxz
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 19, 2020
Photos credit: Avalon.red and Getty
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