San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and his wife, Claire, are calling out the dangerous spread of disinformation after a fake quote about the late Charlie Kirk was falsely linked to him online.
The bogus post popped up on Facebook earlier this week, wrongly attributing words to Kittle that suggested politics had no place in football and that Kirk’s name should stop being mentioned. The inflammatory statement quickly spread across social media, fueling a wave of backlash against the NFL star.
By Wednesday night, Kittle himself had to step in to clear the air. “I hope most of you realize that,” he wrote alongside a screenshot of the false quote. “Also, that above account only posts fake news/reports, please ignore them. The wild messages I’m receiving from people made me have to address it. Have a good night.”
Claire Kittle was even more blunt, condemning the situation on Instagram. “This is clearly a fake quote,” she wrote. “How sick is the world that someone actually took the time to write and post this and about George of all people. What’s even more sickening is that George had to address this on social media because of the hate coming in. Leave us alone and goodnight.”
She later urged people to be more responsible before spreading unverified content. “Do one ounce of research before jumping to conclusions. Don’t attack people based off the latest headline. People suck. Be better.”
The phony post came from a page called “Red And Gold Legacy,” which SFGATE reported has since been removed. Meta confirmed the account was part of a broader problem: dozens of fake pages generating fabricated quotes from athletes, apparently designed to inflame division and outrage in the wake of Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University earlier this month.
The Kittles’ frustration highlights the broader reality many public figures face in the age of misinformation: the exhausting cycle of having to deny words they never said, all while dealing with the fallout of online rage mobs.
For now, George Kittle is turning back to football. The four-time Pro Bowler started his ninth NFL season strong with a touchdown in Week 1 but was sidelined with a hamstring injury and placed on injured reserve. He’ll miss at least three games, though he remains under contract with the 49ers after signing a four-year, $76 million extension earlier this year.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.