A rumor said that Sylvester Stallone rejected a $500 million movie offer from Disney because it was woke or because of wokeness. Donato Fasano/Getty Images

On September 12, 2023, SpaceXMania.com, a website known for its satirical content, published an article claiming that actor Sylvester Stallone had turned down a staggering $500 million movie offer from Disney because he was not interested in incorporating “wokeness” into his life. The headline boldly stated, “‘Don’t Want Wokeness In My Life’: Sylvester Stallone Rejects Disney’s $500 Million ‘Woke’ Movie Offer,” setting off a flurry of reactions and discussions across social media platforms.

The article painted a vivid picture of Stallone’s supposed rejection, depicting Hollywood’s elite reacting with shock and disbelief to his decision. Quoting Stallone as saying, “I’ve fought against Russians, trained fighters, and even climbed mountains in my movies. But this? This is where I draw the line,” the narrative suggested that Stallone was uninterested in participating in projects laden with modern-day social commentary and political correctness.

However, as with many of SpaceXMania.com’s articles, this story was not rooted in reality. The website openly acknowledges its satirical nature, both on its “About Us” page and with a label above articles. While the idea of Stallone rejecting a lucrative movie offer due to ideological differences may have seemed plausible to some, it ultimately served as fodder for the site’s brand of humorous content.

It’s worth noting that similar rumors had circulated before, with other websites like esspots.com, lifestory25.com, and usacommunity.live also sharing variations of the story. However, unlike SpaceXMania.com, these websites did not provide clear labels indicating that their content was satirical in nature, potentially leading readers to misconstrue the information as factual.

This incident underscores the importance of critically evaluating the sources of information and exercising discernment when encountering sensational headlines or outlandish claims online. While satire can be entertaining, it’s crucial to distinguish between legitimate news and humorous content to avoid spreading misinformation or misconceptions.