‘I can confirm I’ve turned 95’: Clint Eastwood sets the record straight after fake interview about movie remakes spreads like wildfire

Legendary filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood has officially addressed the circulation of a fake interview that was published in an Austrian newspaper, Kurier. The interview, which gained significant traction online, featured false quotes from Eastwood criticizing the current state of the film industry, particularly regarding remakes and franchises.

According to Deadline, the fabricated interview appeared in Kurier, a German-language newspaper with a circulation of approximately 100,000 readers. Despite the publication’s relatively modest reach, the story quickly spread across various media platforms and was picked up by numerous outlets, including Deadline, which subsequently amplified its visibility.

In response to the spreading misinformation, Eastwood provided a statement to Deadline to clarify the situation. “A couple of items about me have recently shown up in the news,” the statement read. “I thought I would set the record straight. I can confirm I’ve turned 95. I can also confirm that I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony.”

False claims about film industry criticism gain widespread attention

The falsified interview contained fabricated quotes that portrayed Eastwood expressing disappointment with the current state of filmmaking, specifically targeting the industry’s reliance on remakes and franchise films. These manufactured statements resonated with many readers and industry observers, contributing to the rapid spread of the misinformation across various media platforms.

The timing of the fake interview’s publication coincided with Eastwood’s 95th birthday, which may have contributed to its perceived credibility and widespread sharing. The veteran filmmaker’s reputation and standing in the industry made the supposed criticisms appear plausible to many readers and media outlets.

The incident highlights the challenges faced by both traditional and digital media in verifying information before publication. Despite Kurier being a legitimate newspaper, the false interview managed to bypass fact-checking processes and was subsequently amplified by other reputable media organizations.

This situation serves as a reminder of how quickly misinformation can spread in today’s digital age, even when originating from a relatively small publication. Eastwood’s direct statement to Deadline effectively put an end to the circulation of the false interview, demonstrating the importance of going directly to the source for verification of such claims.