Usher addressed online speculation that a body double performed at a New Jersey show, insisting cloning isn’t happening and AI isn’t that advanced; amid NYC fans demanding refunds, the Chris Brown tour continues with more shows and recent on-stage moments.
Usher publicly shut down online rumors that a body double performed at his New Jersey concert with Chris Brown, quipping “They can’t clone this” and emphasizing the show was a joint tour performance, urging fans to focus on the music rather than conspiracy theories.
Jon Stewart reacting in disbelief after spotting a man resembling Donald Trump near the president at Joint Base Andrews jokes about a “backup Trump.” The man is identified as Viktor Knavs, Trump’s father-in-law, who attended the World Cup final with the Trumps, sparking Stewart’s speculation about a possible body double.
Lena Headey says she used a body double for Cersei’s Walk of Atonement to preserve the emotional performance and avoid being naked before thousands of extras, a choice she found bafflingly criticized. She credits Rebecca Van Cleave for the demanding role, notes her own experience allowed clearer boundaries, and argues the MeToo era has helped younger actresses reject uncomfortable situations and push for safer on‑set norms.
Online chatter after the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Mexico City claimed Shakira used a body double for the performance of the tournament anthem, but close visual cues—including a forehead scar seen in multiple photos—suggest it was actually Shakira, with no official comment yet from her team.
Brendan Wayne, John Wayne’s grandson, serves as Pedro Pascal’s body double for The Mandalorian, helping define Mando’s movement and even guiding on-set prop details like a rifle that was too long; he wore a 62‑pound suit on long shoot days, while stunt work is performed by Lateef Crowder. Wayne credits his famed grandfather’s Western legacy with shaping his approach and says the role has been life‑changing for him and his family.
Jim Carrey attended the César Awards in Paris to accept the Honorary César, with his representative confirming he was there and debunking online body-double theories. Awards delegate Gregory Caulier called the rumors a non‑issue, noting Carrey delivered his acceptance speech in French and was accompanied by his partner Min Ah, as well as family and friends.
A BBC reporter sparked controversy by claiming that a video of Kate Middleton at a farm shop was fake and that she was a look-alike, leading to a frenzy of speculation and conspiracy theories. The video's creator defended its authenticity, stating that he saw the royal couple in person and that they appeared happy and relaxed. The rumors of a body double for Middleton have persisted since her surgery in January, despite efforts to dispel them. Additionally, Middleton faced criticism for posting a Photoshopped picture and later apologized for any confusion it caused.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of the Wagner Group, who was exiled to Belarus after staging an armed rebellion against Moscow's military leadership, has apparently reappeared in St. Petersburg, raising questions about whether he had actually left Russia. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered the deal that ended the revolt and included Prigozhin's exile, stated that the Wagner boss was already back in Russia. An unnamed Pentagon official suggested that Prigozhin may have never gone to Belarus and that he is believed to employ body doubles. It is also unclear if any Wagner troops were in Belarus, with most believed to be in eastern Ukraine.
Margot Robbie's body double for the film "Barbie," Emma Eastwood, revealed that she was kept in the dark about the plot of the movie while on set. Despite working for two weeks, Eastwood said she "barely" knows what the film is about as the director, Greta Gerwig, kept the context of her scenes a secret. Eastwood was initially hired as a hand double but ended up taking on more significant scenes without any context. She described being confused and disoriented during certain scenes, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the highly anticipated film. "Barbie" is set to release on July 21.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's distance from the audience during a national holiday speech has sparked social media comments, with some speculating that he may be using a body double. The Russian leader appeared to be many feet away from the audience at the Russia Day awards ceremony in the Kremlin, possibly due to his reported fear of catching COVID-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has previously denied Putin uses body doubles, saying in April that such reports are a "lie."
A top adviser to the Ukrainian government, Anton Gerashchenko, has tweeted pictures of Russian President Putin, claiming that he is sending body doubles to public events in his place. Gerashchenko drew red circles beneath Putin's chin in all three images, suggesting that they cannot be the same man. The images show Putin venturing into disputed territories inside Ukraine, with one taken in Crimea on March 18 appearing to show a heavier jowl than subsequent photos taken in Mariupol and Moscow.
Skeptics believe that Russian leader Vladimir Putin uses body doubles for public appearances, with critics pointing to his ears as proof. While the conspiracy may sound wild, there are elements of truth to it: Political decoys are sometimes used on the international stage — and people can be identified by certain measurements of their ears. The use of ears as forensic evidence has been documented for decades. Theories of political figures using body doubles often appear to correlate with rumors of their illness or other weakness which would prevent them from otherwise fulfilling their leadership duties.
Claims that Russian leader Vladimir Putin uses body doubles for public appearances have resurfaced after a surprise visit to occupied areas of Ukraine. Skeptics believe his doubles have had surgery to look like him and point to his ears as proof. While the use of political decoys is not new, ears have been used by forensic scientists to identify suspects of crime since the 1950s. The theory of Putin using body doubles is one of the more unusual conspiracy theories, but advances in 3D scanning technology make it possible to identify someone by the measurements of their ear with 99.6% accuracy in just 0.02 milliseconds.