At the beginning of May 2024, thousands of Facebook users were surprised by what appeared to be breaking entertainment news. A sponsored post claimed that beloved television host Steve Harvey had been abruptly fired from ABC’s hit game show Family Feud after nearly fourteen years. The dramatic advertisement featured alarming headlines designed to grab attention, including, “Tensions Erupt After His On-Air Slip-Up,” and “Steve Harvey Abruptly Fired From Family Feud.”
For longtime fans, the story was shocking. Harvey has become one of the most recognizable faces on television, known for his quick wit, unforgettable reactions, and ability to turn ordinary Family Feud answers into viral comedy moments. After serving as host since 2010, many people found it difficult to believe that he would suddenly be removed from the show over a single interview.
The advertisement suggested that everything fell apart after Harvey allegedly made an embarrassing confession during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. According to the story, ABC executives were outraged by his comments and immediately decided to terminate his contract. The article portrayed the incident as one of the biggest television scandals of the year.
However, none of it was true.
The entire story was fabricated from beginning to end.
Steve Harvey was never fired from Family Feud. There was no public controversy involving Oprah Winfrey, no official statement from ABC announcing his dismissal, and no evidence that such an interview had ever taken place. The sensational headlines were simply bait intended to lure readers into clicking a fraudulent website.
Instead of taking visitors to a legitimate news outlet, the Facebook advertisement redirected users to a fake webpage carefully designed to resemble CNN’s official website. The page appeared convincing at first glance, complete with professional formatting and familiar branding. But the website’s address revealed the deception—it was hosted on the suspicious domain “pastadibern.pro,” not CNN’s official website.
The fake article carried the dramatic headline:
“Steve Harvey Fired from Family Feud After Shocking On-Air Confession to Oprah Winfrey.”
Its opening paragraphs claimed that ABC Entertainment CEO Craig Erwich (incorrectly identified in some versions as Chris Dungey) had confirmed Harvey’s dismissal following an offensive television appearance. The article alleged that Harvey had gone off-script during an interview with Oprah Winfrey and began discussing his personal struggles with erectile dysfunction before unexpectedly promoting a product called Canna Labs CBD Gummies.
To make the story appear authentic, the scammers filled the article with fabricated quotations. One fake quote falsely attributed to Oprah claimed that Harvey’s comments were inappropriate for family television and suggested that his hosting career should come to an end. Another invented statement portrayed Harvey as defending himself while enthusiastically endorsing Canna Labs CBD Gummies as the solution to his health problems.
None of those statements were ever made.
There is no record of Oprah Winfrey making such remarks, and Steve Harvey has never publicly endorsed Canna Labs CBD Gummies or promoted any CBD candy products in the manner described by the article.
The scammers also attempted to strengthen their deception by creating a fake social media post that appeared to come from Harvey’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, @IAmSteveHarvey. The fabricated post expressed disappointment about being fired and repeated the false health claims.
A review of Harvey’s genuine social media accounts showed that no such post had ever been published.
As readers continued through the fake article, they encountered even more fabricated content. The story included manipulated photographs and invented quotations supposedly from Harvey’s wife, Marjorie Harvey, as well as television personality Dr. Phil McGraw. These additions were intended to make the hoax appear more credible and encourage readers to believe that multiple celebrities had commented on the situation.
The real objective, however, had nothing to do with celebrity news.
The entire story served as a marketing scam.
Every shocking claim ultimately led readers toward advertisements for Canna Labs CBD Gummies, falsely implying that Steve Harvey personally recommended the product. Visitors were encouraged to purchase the gummies based on the fabricated endorsement, believing they were buying a product supported by a trusted television personality.
This type of celebrity endorsement scam has become increasingly common online. Fraudsters frequently exploit the names and images of famous people without permission to promote questionable health supplements, miracle weight-loss products, investment schemes, or other deceptive offers. By inventing sensational scandals and fake interviews, scammers attract large numbers of clicks before directing victims toward products or fraudulent websites.
Fact-checkers quickly investigated the claims.
Independent verification found no announcement from ABC, no reports from reputable entertainment news organizations, no legitimate interviews involving Oprah Winfrey, and no evidence that Harvey had lost his position as Family Feud host. The fake CNN article was entirely fictional.
Researchers also discovered that nearly identical scams had circulated for years using different celebrities. Similar false stories have falsely claimed that Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, Mayim Bialik, and numerous other well-known personalities secretly endorsed CBD products or miracle health supplements. The names and details change, but the underlying scam follows the same pattern: a sensational headline, a fabricated news article, fake celebrity quotes, and a sales pitch for an unverified product.
This particular rumor involving Steve Harvey was not even new. Earlier versions of the same scam had appeared as far back as 2022 before resurfacing in 2024 with updated headlines and redesigned webpages.
The incident serves as another reminder of how convincing online misinformation can appear. Professional-looking websites, recognizable logos, fake social media posts, and fabricated quotations can easily fool readers who do not verify the information through trusted news sources.
In reality, Steve Harvey remained the longtime host of Family Feud, and there was never any official announcement that he had been fired. The viral Facebook advertisement, fake CNN article, and supposed celebrity endorsements were all components of a coordinated online scam designed to generate clicks and sell a product through deception rather than truth.
The story spread across social media at an astonishing pace.
Thousands of people shared the dramatic headline without stopping to question whether it was true. Many readers believed Steve Harvey had been fired from Family Feud after a heated confrontation with Oprah Winfrey, while others assumed the television host had finally revealed a secret health product responsible for his energy and success. The claims seemed convincing because they were wrapped in professional-looking graphics, familiar news logos, and photographs of well-known celebrities.
But none of it was real.
Every shocking accusation, emotional quote, and supposed interview had been carefully invented to manipulate readers into clicking a link. Once they did, they were directed to advertisements promoting CBD gummies and other products that falsely claimed to have Steve Harvey’s endorsement. The entire story was designed to earn money through deception rather than provide truthful information.
Fact-checkers soon uncovered the truth.
There had been no announcement from ABC. CNN had never published the article being shared online. Oprah Winfrey had never made the statements attributed to her, and Steve Harvey had never endorsed the product being advertised. The viral story was simply another example of a growing wave of online scams that misuse the names and images of celebrities to appear legitimate.
Investigators also found that the scam had been recycled multiple times over several years. Although the headlines and website layouts changed, the strategy remained the same: create a sensational story, attach it to a famous name, encourage readers to click, and then redirect them to products or websites with no genuine celebrity connection.
Experts warn that these scams continue to evolve, becoming more sophisticated with advances in artificial intelligence, photo editing, and website design. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for readers to distinguish between authentic reporting and fabricated content.
The best defense is to verify extraordinary claims through trusted news organizations before believing or sharing them. If a headline seems designed to provoke shock, anger, or excitement, taking a few moments to check reliable sources can prevent misinformation from spreading further.
In the end, Steve Harvey remained the longtime host of Family Feud, and the supposed scandal existed only on fraudulent websites created to attract clicks and sell products. The incident serves as a reminder that in today’s digital world, not everything that looks like news is actually news—and the truth is always worth verifying before believing. The End
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