FACT CHECK: Photo Shows Leonardo DiCaprio With His Niece, Not Greta Thunberg

October 30th, 2024
CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 21: Leonardo DiCaprio attends the "Better World Fund For Climate Gala" during the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Carlton Hotel on May 21, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

A photo shared to Facebook claims to show actor Leonardo DiCaprio on a luxury yacht with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

 

Verdict: False

The image captured DiCaprio and his niece in 2023. It was digitally altered to replace DiCaprio’s niece with Thunberg.

Fact Check:

Social media users are sharing an image of DiCaprio and a young woman, claiming it shows him with Thunberg. One user wrote,”Leonardo DiCaprio Spotted Canoodling with his new GF Greta Thunberg on Luxury Yacht! His girlfriends get younger every year.”

This claim is false. Check Your Fact found the original photo, which was first published by Page Six. The outlet reported that it was from a weekend yacht trip the actor took with family members. At the time, the outlet reported the woman in the image is his niece, Normandie.
TMZ also reported the family yacht trip in June 2023, sharing photos of the actor which appear to have cropped out his niece, although she was still mentioned in the article as having been part of the trip.
Additionally, a TrueMedia analysis run by Check Your Fact shows that there is “some evidence of manipulation” in the resurfaced image. The photo in the Facebook post appears to have been digitally altered to insert Thunberg’s facial likeness over that of DiCaprio’s niece. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Did Nicki Minaj Endorse Trump?)
Thunberg and DiCaprio met in 2019, according to an Instagram post from DiCaprio. He described Thunberg as “a leader of our time” in the caption. There is no evidence Thunberg and DiCaprio ever dated.

Jean Mondoro

Contributor