Fact Check: Did 'American Idol' winner Jamal Roberts decline a Tesla ad offer from Elon Musk?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'American Idol' season 23 winner Jamal Roberts made history by becoming the first African American man to win the singing competition since Ruben Studdard, who claimed the top prize more than two decades ago.
Soon after his win, a rumor circulated online claiming that Roberts declined an advertisement offer from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But is there any truth to this? Let's find out below.
Claim: Jamal Roberts declined a Tesla ad offer from Elon Musk
A rumor circulated across social media in May claiming that Jamal Roberts had turned down an advertisement for Tesla, the electric vehicle company owned by Elon Musk.
A Facebook user shared a collage of Musk, Roberts, and a Tesla car and captioned the post, "American Idol Sensation Jamal Roberts Stuns Nation: Boldly Rejects Elon Musk’s Tesla Ad for Debut Music Video—Delivers Emotional Statement That Leaves Musk and Fans Speechless! Industry in Uproar as Roberts Chooses Integrity Over Millions—What Did He Say That’s Shaking Up Hollywood, Tech, and the Music World?"
The post also contained a link to a news article supposedly reporting on the happenings.
Another Facebook page posted a similar picture and wrote in the caption, "HOLY S**T: American Idol winner Jamal Roberts denies Elon Musk's Tesla ad in his upcoming music video to be released in July! Jamal Roberts gives a very convincing reason to reject Elon Musk...Full story below."
False: No credible evidence to back the claim
The claims made in the online rumor are false, as there is no credible evidence to prove that Jamal Roberts declined a Tesla ad offer from Elon Musk, according to Snopes.
Moreover, there is no proof that Musk approached Roberts regarding the brand endorsement. Searches on Google and Bing showed no results of any such event happening since Roberts won the reality show, per the fact-checking outlet.
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Furthermore, the articles linked to the Facebook posts were from websites that cannot be considered reliable sources of information.
The websites did not cite any trustworthy source backing up the assertion that Roberts rejected an ad offer from Tesla or Elon Musk.
Jamal Roberts says he will celebrate 'American Idol' win with his baby girl
After winning the 'American Idol' title earlier in May, Jamal Roberts sat in a roundtable interview with reporters and revealed his plans.
Roberts told People, "I'm going to take a nap" when asked about his plans after returning home to three daughters.
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Interestingly, Roberts also recently welcomed a baby girl into his family. He took to Instagram on May 16 and shared an adorable picture of his third daughter, Gianna, in a cute ladybug costume.
He captioned the post, "Hey world, meet my little ladybug, Gianna Grace Roberts. I'm so proud to be her father #girldadforlife #idol."
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Roberts' other two daughters are Harmoni and Lyrik. He told USA Today on the 'American Idol' red carpet, "I'm going to see my daughter, Gianna. I've got a lot of making up to do."
Talking about his musical future after his win, he said, "I wasn't really doing the teaching thing for the money. It was really the kids who are just my inspiration. So even if I could go back every now and then, just show up and be a part of something, I plan to do that."
