A rumor spread online in early 2026 that actor Robert De Niro said he had "no choice" but to leave New York City due to inauguration of Zohran Mamdani as mayor.
For example, the Facebook page Venetian posted the claim on Jan. 2. The post began:
Robert De Niro says he now has "no choice" but to leave New York City after Mamdani officially became mayor.
According to De Niro, the new administration wants to take nearly half of his savings simply because he's considered "wealthy."
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Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events, and Snopes readers searched the site looking for more information about De Niro's supposed statement. However, we found no evidence De Niro, who indeed lives in New York City, announced he was moving away because of Mamdani.
Rather, the rumor
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The Facebook page Venetian also describes its output as satire.
Disclaimer: All content on this channel is fictional, satirical, and created purely for entertainment purposes. The posts do not contain real quotes or statements from the celebrities mentioned.
The fictional story spread after Mamdani was sworn in as New York mayor on Jan. 1. Mamdani's policy proposals created debate throughout his campaign, with critics questioning whether the
America's Last Line of Defense has a history of making up stories for shares and comments. Snopes has addressed similar fictional claims by the network in the past, including the assertion that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., owes $1.6 million in back taxes.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.