In late September 2025, Facebook posts claimed that multiple country music legends, including Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson and George Strait, had refused to perform a planned tribute to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk at the 2026 Super Bowl.
For example, one post (archived) shared on Sept. 26, 2025, read:
"Super Bowl Chaos: Country Legends REFUSE to Perform — And America Is Asking Why"What was supposed to be a routine halftime show turned into a cultural earthquake. Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, George Strait, Vince Gill, and Reba McEntire didn't just decline to perform — they refused a politically charged tribute to Charlie Kirk, exposing a hidden agenda that stunned the NFL and fans alike.Executives were caught off guard. Organizers never anticipated the backlash. Social media exploded as millions asked the same question: Who is pulling the strings behind these demands? Why risk alienating legendary artists to force a political statement on the biggest stage in sports?The artists' refusal didn't just disrupt the Super Bowl; it sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, leaving critics scrambling, insiders whispering about hidden agendas, and fans divided over whether the event is still about football — or has become a battleground in America's culture war.As suspensions, ultimatums, and controversial demands mount, one thing is clear: the Super Bowl halftime stage is no longer just a performance — it's ground zero for a nationwide debate over politics, culture, and the power of speaking the truth.Click here to read the full story and see why America's biggest halftime show is now the epicenter of controversy.
Another Facebook post (archived) shared one day earlier made a similar claim about the same five country music stars refusing to sing in a tribute performance for Kirk.
(Janta News (New York) on Facebook)
The posts included links to advertisement-filled articles alleging that the country music stars refused to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl.
Some commenters appeared to take the story as fact. Multiple Snopes readers also searched our website and emailed us to verify whether the rumor was true.
Searches of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo found no credible news reports supporting the claim that five country music legends refused to perform a tribute to Kirk at the 2026 Super Bowl, however. If the story were true, it would have been widely reported by reputable media outlets.
While it's unclear who authored the posts, they are part of a trend of sensational — but false — stories about celebrities shared on social media. The story was seemingly written to generate advertising revenue for the aforementioned websites linked to in the Facebook posts.
AI helped to create rumor
An examination of posts sharing the story indicated that the images and text were likely created with the help of artificial-intelligence (AI) software.
For example, AI-detection platforms Sightengine and Hive flagged an image used in one of the Facebook posts as likely containing AI-generated or deepfake content. Deepfakes are images that have been generated or altered using AI. However, it's important to note that AI-detection software is imperfect and readers should interpret their results with caution.
The image itself also included red flags suggesting it was digitally altered or created using AI. For example, some of the hand shapes and body positions appeared unnaturally stiff, which is common in AI-generated images.
(Hive AI Detector)
The text in both the Facebook posts and attached articles also showed signs of potential AI generation or assistance.
For example, the posts and articles contained over-the-top, emotionally charged language, such as "slammed the brakes," "exposed a trap that shook America's biggest stage," "hidden agenda" and "battleground in America's culture war." This type of language is common in AI-generated content that's designed to elicit reactions and boost engagement.
The text also included repeated rhetorical questions, a technique that AI tools often use to mimic natural human speech.
Other red flags
Other evidence cast further doubt on the Facebook posts' claims.
For example, one of the posts that shared the false rumor linked out to an article published on a website with a "USA News" logo. Websites with this same logo have previously published other false stories about MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes.
A "page transparency" tab for a Facebook page that shared the fabricated story also revealed that at least one of its owners resides in Vietnam — a country that has repeatedly appeared in research of fabricated, AI-generated stories posted by users attempting to capitalize on significant news events and tragedies.
The same tab for another Facebook page that shared the false claim listed its owners as residing in the United States, Mexico and Nepal.
For further reading, Snopes investigated a rumor that Erika Kirk, the late Charlie Kirk's wife, launched a Christian dating app after her husband's death.