Published 16:57 IST, June 16th 2020
Fact Check: No, the TikTok video claiming to be of Sushant Singh Rajput is utterly fake
Fact Check: There is video circulated on TikTok and Twitter that claims to be of Sushant Singh Rajput. Here is the truth behind this utterly atrocious video.
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Sushant Singh Rajput's death has left a gaping hole in not only the Bollywood film industry but also in the hearts of his fans and admirers. However, amid this, a video on TikTok that claims to be of Sushant Singh Rajput is being circulated. The video shows a blurred image of a person being restless as he lies on the bed. He thrashes around on the bed and seems to be in some sort of despair. The video is shared on the platform as people add the words 'RIP Sushant' or 'Last video Sushant Sing' on the video, the implication being that he was - at the very least - highly restless.
The video has been shared on Twitter as well. People are claiming that it is the last video of Sushant Singh Rajput. Here is one such tweet:
The video 'Sushant Singh Rajput last video' on TikTok is fake and misleading
The video which is claimed to be of the last moments of Sushant Singh Rajput is utterly, deviously and obnoxiously fake and is being shared wrongly on the app as well as on other social media portals that have little or no record of verifying fake information or of attempting to stop it. Some digging on the TikTok app brings the same video out. The video is made by a TikTok user named Ben Esqueda as a joke about being single. The original video is of Ben thrashing on the bed after waking up alone. On top of the video, Ben has added a caption. The caption reads:
When you fall in love in ur dream and then wake up to an empty bed
The video was made by Ben Esqueda as a joke with the intention to make his viewers laugh. While his video clearly shows Ben thrashing on the bed, the video which is claimed to be Sushant Singh Rajput's is blurred out so that there is a difference. The caption by Ben has been removed and instead 'Last video Sushant Sing' has been added. The original video was posted by Ben in the month of April. Here is the original video:
@benesqueda i can’t believe i woke up to this😖 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage
♬ original sound - benesqueda
DISCLAIMER: Such videos, fake or otherwise, can prove to be very disturbing and damaging, and normalise and sensationalize serious mental health issues, and also pertinently are an atrocious thing to tweet after such a tragedy.
Google Trends Analysis
The TikTok video has led to many people going on Google to search about the same. The searches saw two peaks, both on June 16. One was at 12:30 AM and another was at 4.30 PM. Here is a snip of how the searches kept rising and falling on Google.
Take a look at the statement by Sushant Singh Rajput's team:
It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far. We request media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief.
(Picture credit: Sushant Singh Rajput's Instagram)
16:57 IST, June 16th 2020