Claim:
Kevin Costner fired Robert De Niro from a new project and said, "He's disrespectful and doesn't know when to shut up."
Rating:
Originated as Satire ( About this rating? )
On May 29, 2024, X user @NobodymrRobert posted a rumor about Oscar winners Kevin Costner and Robert De Niro. According to the post, Costner fired De Niro from a new project. Costner purportedly said of De Niro, "He's disrespectful and he doesn't know when to shut up."
The X post from @NobodymrRobert featured a screenshot of a different post from the Reagan Was Right Facebook page. A meme attached to that Facebook post read, "Robert De Niro Fired From Kevin Costner's New Project: 'He's Disrespectful And He Doesn't Know When To Shut Up." At present, the post received 80,000 likes, 11,900 comments and 22,000 shares.
The Facebook post also displayed the following text caption:
DeNiro stood to rake in at least $30 million from what Costner said was a "pity role."
"I gave it to him because he's having a hard time finding work. Then he pulls that stunt in lower Manhattan. I don't need that kind of negativity on my set."
Good decision. He's washed-up.
The post's mention of De Niro's "stunt in lower Manhattan" referenced the actor's May 28 remarks delivered outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump's New York City criminal hush money trial was taking place. According to The Associated Press , De Niro's presence was an official appearance organized by President Joe Biden's reelection campaign.
It's Satire
As for the rumor, Costner had not, in fact, fired De Niro from any projects.
The Reagan Was Right Facebook page is one of several Facebook pages and websites making up the America's Last Line of Defense (ALLOD) network of "satire" and "parody." Further, the meme itself displays a "satire" rating label in its lower-left corner.
Second Post
A different Facebook page in the ALLOD network posted an alternative version of this same meme, displaying the words, "Kevin Costner Fires Robert De Niro From His New Project: 'He's Disrespectful And He Doesn't Know When To Shut Up." Just like the post on the Reagan Was Right Facebook page, users engaged with this second post thousands of times.
The post included the following alternate text caption:
The move will cost DeNiro more than $30 million.
"I gave him the role out of pity," said Costner, "I needed an aging Italian tough-guy stereotype, and he does that well. But so do twenty other actors."
There's no word yet on who might replace him.
'Tater News Cycle'
The author of the ALLOD Facebook page added a comment poking fun at users who believed the news to be true. The author wrote, "Yet another case of 'follow the tater news cycle, see what has them outraged today, and hop all over it.' Granted, De Niro doesn't have the long-lasting draw of someone like Whoopi Goldberg, but he should be around catching spuds after Butguy has long since been forgotten."
"If you're looking for the source of the story, look no further. No, literally. Look no further. You won't find anything. Please don't inform us about your research; there's no need to show your work."
"For those of you who don't care if it's true or not because half of what you've shared since 2016 has been complete bullhonkey and you know it, congrats on your feel-good win for the day."
"Taters" is a specific term ALLOD uses to reference the politically-conservative voters at whom the content is targeted, and who often believe the page's content to be genuine. The name "Butguy" referred to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker .
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.
Sources:
Long, Colleen, and Zeke Miller. "Biden Campaign Sends Allies De Niro and First Responders to Trump's NY Trial to Put Focus on Jan. 6." The Associated Press , 28 May 2024, https://apnews.com/article/trump-de-niro-biden-insurrection-hush-money-78a33c5083a243e18f9fbd63ce9e8ddd .
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