We all have that one relative who is always quick to post some bonkers conspiracy theory on Facebook or forward some chain email claiming that the Illuminati is secretly responsible for covering up alien invasions or some such nonsense. Given that a University of Chicago study found out that 50% of American adults believe in at least one conspiracy theory, it shouldn't be surprising that it turns out that Great Aunt Bertha has something in common with everyone from Kylie Jenner to Kyrie Irving.
A conspiracy theory is any belief that is held despite a lack of evidence to support the idea or in the face of actual evidence against it, usually combined with the idea that the truth is being covered up by powerful forces. There are conspiracy theories about everything from the death of JFK to the existence of Big Foot to the false ideas about vaccinations.
And just like there are plenty of conspiracy theories, there are plenty of celebrities who have publicly professed to believing some seriously wild and out-there conspiracy theories. So, yep, this is the article that finally combines Kardashians, the Loch Ness monster, aliens, chemtrails, and more than one NBA star. Curious? Read on!
Kyrie Irving
Although he later apologized to science teachers everywhere for expressing his doubts about the Earth being round, NBA player Kyrie Irving is still probably one of the best-known believers in the flat Earth conspiracy. He first publicly questioned the idea of a round Earth in a 2017 appearance on the Holding Court podcast, where he said "there is no real picture of the Earth, not one real picture."
Bruce Willis
Who shot President John F. Kennedy? This seemingly simple question is at the heart of one of the most popular conspiracy theories. JFK truthers claim that the late president was killed by the US government. Or Cuba. Or a mob hit man. There are lots of options and several celebrity believers. One celeb who has fully bought in on that idea is actor Bruce Willis. In a 2007 Vanity Fair interview, he even said he'd "get killed for saying this" but "the entire government of the United States was co-opted" in the cover-up.
Kylie Jenner
In 2015, a then-18-year-old Kylie Jenner posted a meme to Twitter of a sky filled with the thin clouds of condensation that follow airplanes, superimposed with questions pointing to the chemtrails conspiracy theory. This debunked theory holds that these clouds are actually filled with chemicals designed to control the weather and human behavior. Kylie hasn't posted much more about this, so hopefully she's outgrown this conspiracy theory.
Roseanne Barr
The brash comedian Roseanne Barr is no stranger to saying provocative things and seems to believe in more than one pretty awful conspiracy theory. Not only did she speculate on her own website in 2013 that the Boston Marathon bombing was a "false flag" event designed to weaken Second Amendment rights, but she's also shared views associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory in since-deleted Twitter posts.
Ye
Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has never been afraid to say things that raise eyebrows and stir up conversations, but some of his statements definitely go in the conspiracy theory direction. One example is a 2020 interview with Forbes magazine where he tried to spread debunked conspiracy theories about the coronavirus vaccine, including saying it was "the mark of the beast" and a way to implant microchips.
Prince
The late, great musical icon Prince was another celebrity who believed in the chemtrails conspiracy theory. In a 2009 interview with journalist Tavis Smiley, he blamed chemtrails for causing unrest and fighting in his neighborhood every time a jet would fly overhead. He also may have believed in the Illuminati conspiracy theory, although this one is less clearly documented.
Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone is a die-hard JFK conspiracy theorist who thinks anyone who doesn't see it isn't paying attention. In a 2013 interview with USA Today, the director declared: "I'm amazed there is any single adult left in the USA who would not think that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one and only assassin."
Mark Ruffalo
Marvel movie actor Mark Ruffalo is one of a surprisingly large number of celebrities who support some portion of the 9/11 truthers conspiracy theory. This theory centers on the idea that the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, were actually caused by the US government. In 2007 and 2011, Ruffalo gave interviews to We Are Change, a 9/11 truthers group, where he speculated that something other than the planes caused the Twin Towers to fall.
Charlie Sheen
In addition to being an outspoken anti-vaxxer, the always controversial actor Charlie Sheen is a 9/11 truther. He not only publicly appealed to then-President Barack Obama to launch a new investigation into the events of that tragic day, he has hinted that he believes that the administration of former President George W. Bush may have been responsible for the attacks.
Megan Fox
During 2014's Comic-Con convention, actress Megan Fox not only declared that Big Foot is real, she also expressed confidence that she would be the one to find him — if she ever got the chance to go on a searching expedition. Big Foot might not be real, but Megan's confidence is real for sure!
Kourtney Kardashian
Long before she was all loved up with Travis Barker, Kourtney Kardashian appeared on Keeping Up With the Kardashians expressing her belief to her skeptical mother that mermaids are real. According to her, the ocean is large, and mermaids could totally live there. For what it's worth, her sister Kim Kardashian was only willing to concede that mermaids might have been real in the past.
Jenny McCarthy
No list of celebrities who believe in scientifically disproven conspiracy theories would be complete without the queen of anti-vaxxers, Jenny McCarthy. The former reality TV star — who has been a host on The View and The Masked Singer — has stated many times that vaccines caused her son's autism despite scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and not linked to autism.
Steph Curry
In 2018, NBA superstar Steph Curry appeared to come out as a conspiracy theorist after he stated in an appearance on the Winging It podcast that he didn't think the moon landing ever happened. He later claimed that he was joking and even accepted an invitation from NASA to visit one of its lunar labs.
Khloé Kardashian
Kylie Jenner isn't the only Kardashian-Jenner family member who believes in a conspiracy theory. Big sister Khloé Kardashian once tweeted that she "lives for this stuff #UFO #WeAreNotAlone" after seeing bright lights over the LA sky in 2015. She even went on to write, "What do we expect people to say? Obvi they are going to say meteor shower. I'm such a conspiracy theorist. Let me enjoy this."
Wiz Khalifa
Rapper Wiz Khalifa, best known for his song "See You Again," has been associated with a conspiracy theory that suggests that 5G cellular networks are dangerous to public health and that the COVID-19 pandemic is actually caused by 5G networks. Guess he won't be starring in any Verizon commercials in the future.
Jimmy Vee
Jimmy Vee might not be the most recognizable name, but his most famous character certainly is. This Scottish actor has been playing the role of Star Wars droid R2-D2 since 2015 — but he has apparently been believing in that famous Scottish icon the Loch Ness monster for even longer than that. He even spoke out publicly against scientists who claim "Nessie" was just a big fish.
