Fact Check: Online Ad Claims Dana Perino Is Leaving Fox News' 'The Five' Due to 'Tensions' with Sean Hannity. Here Are the Facts
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Claim:
Dana Perino is leaving the Fox News show "The Five" in May 2024, all due to "tensions" with fellow host Sean Hannity.
Rating:
On May 19, 2024, Meta approved and accepted money for at least one ad displayed to Facebook and Instagram users claiming Dana Perino — a former White House press secretary for U.S. President George W. Bush — announced her departure as one of the hosts of the Fox News TV show "The Five."
A right-column version of the ad served to Facebook users read, "It's Official: We Say Farewell To Dana Perino."
A different version of the ad displayed in users' news feeds also included the words, "A sad end to a brilliant career."
The ads led to an article on the website freshdailydrive.com. The link first routed through falcondownholesolutions.com before redirecting to freshdailydrive.com.
The headline of the article read, "Dana Perino Leaves 'The Five' and Sparks Major Lawsuit Against Fox: Her Response on Air." According to the story, Perino created a product with the ability to "reverse dementia" named Fortin CBD Gummies. The product purportedly clashed with sponsors of Sean Hannity's show, leading to "tensions" with the fellow Fox News host.
However, Perino was not leaving "The Five." She has no involvement with CBD gummies. Further, the "tensions" with Hannity were made up. The article was both false and a scam.
Scammers designed the article on freshdailydrive.com to resemble the layout of articles on the real Fox News website. In other words, they intended to fool users into believing they were reading an article on FoxNews.com. The scam article began as follows:
(Fox) - In an Exclusive Interview, Dana Perino, the renowned former White House Press Secretary, political commentator, and businesswoman, announced that she would be leaving 'The Five' due to recent tensions with Sean Hannity, caused by her latest business venture.
Last week, during a heated episode, the popular conservative host, Dana Perino, made headlines by unveiling her new CBD line live on 'The Five'. Sean Hannity was outraged and expressed his intention to sue Dana Perino and Fox for violating his contract and allegedly driving away sponsors. Dana Perino responded with the following statement:
"I understand that Sean is simply targeting my timeslot. I refuse to succumb to 'Cancel Culture.' When I embarked on this journey back in 2022, it was initially a part-time passion project and my way of giving back. Having received so much, I believed there was no better time to make Fortin CBD Gummies accessible to everyone, as it has the potential to help thousands of individuals live pain-free and happier lives."
Dana Perino's product, Fortin CBD Gummies, has been selling like hotcakes, with stocks depleting within minutes. She admits that her main challenge as CEO is meeting the overwhelming demand. Her CBD wellness line is not only 90% cheaper but also five times more effective than similar offerings from Bayer and other "Big Pharma" companies.
Sean Hannity was infuriated upon learning that multiple sponsors were suing Fox News Network. Sean is now calling for Dana Perino's indictment, stating, "While I am pleased that Dana Perino found an alternative to prescription medications, her announcement directly violated our contract. Fox News should terminate her immediately, and she owes us a formal apology."
The article later falsely claimed fellow Fox News host Jesse Watters backed Perino and her CBD gummies product. To be clear, no famous person has endorsed "miracle" CBD gummies for supposedly "instantly and permanently [reversing] dementia." The website for the British Alzheimer's Society once published, "There are no research studies that prove cannabis, or products such as cannabis oil (CBD oil), can stop, slow, reverse or prevent the diseases that cause dementia."
We previously reported on the fact scammers improperly featured other famous people as purportedly endorsing CBD gummies for various medical issues, as well as keto ACV gummies supposedly for weight loss. Such rumors have targeted former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, singer-songwriter and TV show host Kelly Clarkson, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and ABC News chief health and medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.
Sources:
"Cannabis, CBD Oil and Dementia." Alzheimer's Society, https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/treatments/alternative-therapies/cannabis-cbd-oil-and-dementia.
"White House Press Secretary | Definition & History | Britannica." Brittanica.com, https://www.britannica.com/topic/White-House-press-secretary.
