From Fringe to Mainstream: How Celebrity Endorsement on Social Media Contributes to the Spread of Conspiracy Theories

ABSTRACT

Celebrities have been known to endorse and amplify conspiracy theories over various forms of media. This study experimentally examines the influence of celebrity endorsement of a conspiracy theory over social media on belief in fringe theories about chemtrails, destigmatization of conspiracy belief, and the subsequent spread of the counter-narrative on social media. The findings reveal that celebrities sharing conspiracy theories may destigmatize belief in such counter-narratives and disrupt spirals of silence that constrain the sharing of such perspectives online. The study reveals ways that celebrities may contribute to conspiracy cascades via their social media, leading to a more fertile climate for misinformation to spread.

KEYWORDS:

• Celebrity endorsement
• conspiracy theories
• online social proof
• social media
• spiral of silence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Although Chrissy Teigan found herself in a bullying scandal in 2021, and Aaron Rodgers became a central figure in the anti-vaccine movement in 2021, the data was collected before those controversies occurred.