Fact check: LeBron James did not say Duterte 'must be convicted'

MANILA, Philippines – NBA superstar LeBron James may have made political statements in the past, but he did not comment on the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte was arrested by Philippine authorities on March 11 for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s controversial drug war. He was immediately surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he remains in custody. 

A lot of opinions have been posted online from both pro- and anti-Duterte supporters.

Among them was a post by the Instagram account "@kalebronjames," which featured a deepfake video where the 40-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward appeared to speak about Duterte’s arrest.

According to the fake video, Duterte "turned the Philippines into one of the most dangerous places for human rights defenders."

“Extrajudicial killings, abductions, and outright assassinations became state policy under his rule. Beyond the cities, Duterte waged war on farmers and peasant leaders, overseeing the killings of 442 activists, 336 of them farmers,” the video said, as Duterte supposedly “earned the title 'Massacre King' for orchestrating mass killings in the countryside.” 

It also showcased several orders Duterte made during his presidency, framing his "reign" as a “a period of systematic political repression silencing anyone who dared to resist.” 

“His arrest isn't just about him, it's about justice for his victims. Unlike the thousands he had murdered, he is getting due process. But the fight isn't over. The people must reject all efforts to whitewash his crimes and ensure that he, and every enabler of his bloody rule, faces full accountability. Duterte must be convicted,” James supposedly said. 

RATING: This is fake.

Facts

The deepfake video was posted by @kalebronjames on March 18, exactly a week after Duterte’s arrest. It carried hashtags such as #phpolitics, #duterteikulong, #convictduterte and #lebronjames.

This is the fourth video posted by the account, which has 3,165 followers, including comedian and actor Eric Andre.

Previously, it posted videos about "bureaucrat capitalism in the Philippines," the country's "long-standing rice and agricultural issues" and "semifeudalism in the Philippines."

All these posts featured deepfake videos of James, edited from various past interviews.

His mouth moved as if he were speaking, and the voice matched James', but the videos were clearly tampered with.

The video begins with an interview from last year about the Paris Olympics and his son, Bronny James.

In the middle of the video, another interview with James appeared—one conducted after the Lakers' 117-111 Game 4 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, where he recorded his first 20-20 game.

Towards the end of the video, another interview was used—this time from a post-game press conference after their 112-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Why we fact-checked this

The Instagram post about Duterte’s arrest has received 1,512 likes and 1,393 shares. There were 32 comments, with some acknowledging the satirical and deepfake nature of the video.

Some comments praised "KaLeBron" for his "solidarity," while others called it "another W take" and "based."

However, the account’s first deepfake video—about semifeudalism in the Philippines—sparked debate, with some questioning if it was AI-generated.

Another user commented, "This… is getting good."

User @kristyj1 commented, "Looks like AI to me."

These comments show how deepfake videos can manipulate people into believing someone said something they never did, especially if they are unaware that the account is satirical.

As of this writing, the deepfake video remains online.

Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, is scheduled for a confirmation of charges hearing at the ICC on September 23.