Fact Check: Denzel Washington Pulled Funding from Boy Scouts, Claiming 'They Lost Their Way'?

Claim:

Actor Denzel Washington pulled a funding commitment from the Boy Scouts of America because the organization "lost their way."

Rating:

Labeled Satire ( About this rating? )

On May 29, 2024, a Facebook page named Dancing Dynasty published a side-by-side image of actor Denzel Washington and some Boy Scouts positing that Washington had pulled a funding commitment because the Scouts had "lost their way":

(screen capture)

This post had garnered 577 reactions, 44 comments and 52 shares as of this writing. Another Facebook post from the page TrendingTinsel claimed the same thing and received 27,000 reactions, 3,000 comments and 2,500 shares:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02hvqDwwevfMSzuwpmAD5Y9ufNmAAgCepisKLTjWUKdY9DVowAxY2FNhcJePCrgWZJl&id=61557714336939

Many commenters on the post expressed enthusiasm with Washington's alleged decision. "Great!! All should pull back any funds to BOY scouts. If they want to be 'woke', let them go that direction without your assistance! Satan is in charge of that institution," one wrote.

The pinned comment on the first post included a link to an article on a dicey-looking website that read:

Denzel Washington Pulls $100 Million Funding from Boys Scouts, "They Lost Their Way"

In a bold move that has sent shockwaves through the nonprofit world, renowned actor Denzel Washington has announced that he is withdrawing a $100 million funding commitment from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) [sic]. The decision comes after years of controversy and allegations surrounding the organization's handling of sexual abuse cases.

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The Facebook page Dancing Dynasty describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.

Further, the organization Boy Scouts of America recently announced it was changing its name to Scouting America , following several sexual abuse scandals and bankruptcy, in an effort to project a more inclusive image.

This is not the first time we've reported on claims that famous men were pulling funding from the organization since it announced this change. On May 13, 2024, we reported that tech magnate Elon Musk had withdrawn $250 million in funding for scouts, while actor Vin Diesel had pulled $1 million.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.