In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
A video circulating on social media purports to show Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie detailing her involvement in a Satanic ritual.
The footage was posted to X last week by the user known as Dom Lucre, a conspiracy theorist whose posts have received more fact-checks from the Community Notes feature than nearly any other user.
Lucre, known best for being suspended and then reinstated by X owner Elon Musk last year after sharing child exploitation material, alleged that the footage showed a 23-year-old Jolie being secretly recorded by a “whistleblower” in 1998.
Specifically, Lucre claimed that Jolie had explained to two close friends “the initiation rituals she had recently taken part in while attempting to establish herself in Hollywood.”
“Jolie described in detail the blood ritual celebrities had to go through,” Lucre said.
Yet the audio from the grainy footage is difficult to decipher. The clip’s editor also took the liberty of adding captions that framed the discussion as centering around a “ritual” despite Jolie never uttering the word.
Nevertheless, many of those replying to Lucre, who boasts more than 1 million followers, appeared to believe the claim.
“These people are sick… they’ve sold their souls for fame and fortune. Sad,” one user said.
“Angelina Jolie will never get redemption,” another added.
So what exactly is the video about? Does it really show Jolie discussing secret Satanic rituals that all your favorite celebrities must partake in? Unsurprisingly, no.
In a longer and uncut version of the video, Jolie discusses the death of her pet snake as a child, her sexuality, as well as her tattoos. Jolie also mentions her personal interest in sadomasochism, which she has openly discussed for years.
At no point is any ritual, animal sacrifice, or Illuminati initiation mentioned in the video as conspiracy theorists claim.
Even some of Lucre’s followers pushed back at his attempt to frame the video as something it wasn’t.
“I wouldn’t be shocked in the least to learn that Angelina is involved with satanic rituals, but this video provides nothing of substance,” one commenter said.
Despite his constant spread of misinformation, Lucre shows no signs of stopping. As an X subscriber, Lucre receives payments from the platform’s ad revenue-sharing program. In other words, the more sensational and attention-grabbing his claims – regardless of whether they are true – the more money he receives.
Why it matters
The transformation of Twitter into X at the hands of Elon Musk has ushered in a new era of fake news. While debate can be had about Musk’s right to choose what content is allowed and what isn’t, there’s no denying the fact that misinformation is at an all-time high on the platform.
