Fact Check: Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson Aren't Joining Forces to Launch 'Anti-Woke' Film Studio
Claim:
Robert Downey Jr. is the new member of Mel Gibson's "anti-woke movie production studio."
Rating:
On April 11, 2024, the website Esspots published an article featuring side-by-side images of actors Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson, along with a report positing the two Academy Award winners were potentially teaming up to launch a "non-woke" film production studio.
It read:
Breaking: Robert Downey Jr. Interested in Collaborating with Mel Gibson's Non-Woke Production Studio
In a surprising turn of events, Hollywood superstar Robert Downey Jr. has expressed keen interest in teaming up with Mel Gibson's newly formed non-woke production studio, indicating his frustration with what he perceives as increasing wokeness in the film industry.
The iconic actor, renowned for his portrayal of Iron Man in Marvel's blockbuster movies, recently voiced his concerns about the direction of modern cinema during an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly. Downey Jr. made it clear that he is looking for a creative outlet that aligns more with his personal views and artistic preferences.
The story recounts an interview Downey Jr. reportedly conducted with the entertainment news outlet Entertainment Weekly, in which he said, per the Esspots article: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with Marvel, but the constant push for wokeness in Hollywood has become exhausting. I want to work on projects that resonate with audiences on a deeper level, without sacrificing artistic integrity."
On July 1, 2024, the news was also shared to the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub, which stated, "Robert Downey Jr. Is The New Member Of Mel Gibson's Anti-Woke Movie Production Studio," while also linking to the Esspots story.
(SpaceX Fanclub/Facebook)
The Facebook post had gained 15,000 reactions and nearly 1,000 comments at the time of this writing.
One commenter wrote: "Can't name all the actors I refuse to watch anymore!! Thanks Mel, I'll watch anything and everything you guys produce!! Go AMERICA."
"Great news. Many years ago I remember praying for young Robert Downey when he was before a judge due to alcohol problems. So happy he worked it out over the years. God bless his new undertakings," said another.
However, this story was not a factual recounting of real-life events. Esspots.com, the originator of the claim, is a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. According to its "Disclaimer" page:
Welcome to Esspots.com, a website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.
SpaceX Fanclub, the Facebook account that authored the popular post, had a similar disclaimer on its page: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real."
The image accompanying the Facebook post had a "Rated Satire" stamp in the top-left corner, while the account's "About" section listed it as a "Satire/Parody" page, while also linking to esspots.com.
Further, no reputable news outlets or websites shared the alleged news about Downey Jr. and Gibson creating a "non-woke" or "anti-woke" movie studio, and a Google search did not reveal any evidence from any news platform of the existence of the Entertainment Weekly quotes attributed to Downey Jr. by Esspots.
Snopes found two Entertainment Weekly articles featuring Mel Gibson and Downey Jr. and neither mentioned the creation of a "non-woke" movie studio.
This was not the first time we debunked such claims from this network of parody accounts. Snopes previously fact-checked other satirical claims, including actors Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood joining forces to launch a "non-woke" movie production studio, and Elon Musk buying the TV network ABC so he could cancel the show "The View."
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.
Sources:
Log in or Sign up to View. https://www.facebook.com/login/. Accessed 10 July 2024.
"Mel Gibson | Actor, Producer, Director." IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000154/. Accessed 10 July 2024.
"Mel Gibson Calls Robert Downey Jr. "generous and Kind" for Defending Him". EW.Com, https://ew.com/mel-gibson-calls-robert-downey-jr-generous-kind-for-defending-him-8628690. Accessed 11 July 2024.
"Robert Downey Jr. Asks Hollywood to Forgive Mel Gibson". EW.Com, https://ew.com/article/2011/10/15/robert-downey-jr-forgive-mel-gibson/. Accessed 11 July 2024.
"Robert Downey Jr." EW.Com, https://ew.com/person/robert-downey-jr/. Accessed 10 July 2024.
"Robert Downey Jr. | Actor, Producer, Writer." IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000375/. Accessed 10 July 2024.
Robin, Alex. "Breaking: Robert Downey Jr. Interested in Collaborating with Mel Gibson's Non-Woke Production Studio." Esspots, 11 Apr. 2024, https://esspots.com/breaking-robert-downey-jr-interested-in-collaborating-with-mel-gibsons-non-woke-production-studio144/.
