Fans are not happy with KJ Apa after he posted a video to Instagram Stories on Wednesday, July 29, that seemingly spread “false information” about the current coronavirus pandemic.
For those who missed it, the video claimed that a cure for the coronavirus had “been found and proven and has been available for months.” The doctor speaking in the since-deleted clip also said that face masks were not necessary to stop the spread of the disease. Similarly to KJ, Madonna also shared the video before it was blurred, then flagged and eventually removed by Instagram.
“We’ve removed this video for making false claims about cures and prevention methods for COVID-19,” a spokesperson for Instagram, said in a statement to Billboard. “People who reacted to, commented on, or shared this video will see messages directing them to authoritative information about the virus.”
“Wake up America. Watch and share please,” the 23-year-old captioned his since-deleted post, according to fan screenshots.
After the Riverdale actor posted the video, fans took to social media and slammed him for spreading “misinformation.”
“KJ Apa should stick to trying to remember to shower every week [because] he’s clearly not informed enough to talk about important topics to his 18 million impressionable followers,” one person said. Another added, “People cancelling KJ Apa is like really funny to me just because he is SO dumb it’s like. I never look to him for guidance.”
people cancelling kj apa is like really funny to me just because he is SO dumb it’s like. i never look to him for guidance
— erin de bergerac (@babyloveblum) July 30, 2020
A third person added, “Him sharing and participating in this FALSE video is SO harmful.”
The World Health Organization has reported that more than 17,240,000 people have contracted coronavirus so far. For those who missed it, medical professionals have called for “social distancing” to prevent further spreading of the illness, which is defined as “trying to keep yourself away from other people, especially large crowds.” Because of this many events, concerts, award shows, conventions and festivals have been canceled. People are urged to stay indoors, avoid public places and isolate themselves during this time. The virus has resulted in more than 671,000 deaths and has infected people in 215 countries.
KJ has not publicly responded to backlash from the social media video.
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