Fact Check: Did Cher respond to Karoline Leavitt after being called ‘irrelevant’ and ‘outdated’?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A viral meme circulating on social media claimed that pop icon Cher delivered sharp public response to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt after Leavitt allegedly dismissed the singer as “irrelevant” and “outdated.” The meme gained attention across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Tumblr.

Claim: Cher clapped back at Karoline Leavitt over ‘irrelevant’ and ‘outdated’ remark

The meme presented a quote attributed to Leavitt criticizing Cher's political activism as “irrelevant, outdated, and rooted in a world that doesn't exist anymore,” followed by a purportedly scathing response from Cher ending with the line, “Sweetheart, take a seat.”

The rumor gained further traction after 'The View' cohost Ana Navarro shared it on Instagram on December 21, 2025. Later, an account under the verified name of actor John Leguizamo reposted a screenshot, writing, “Levitt got read by Cher! Well done! ha ha.”

Fact Check: Quotes attributed to Cher and Leavitt are fabricated

No credible evidence exists that Karoline Leavitt ever made such comments about Cher, nor that Cher responded publicly.

Searches across major news outlets, political blogs, and search engines including Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo yielded no reporting confirming the alleged exchange. A high-profile clash between a White House press secretary and a world-famous entertainer would have been widely covered by mainstream media.

Fact-checking outlets traced the origin of the quotes to an advertisement-heavy website apparently operated from Vietnam, which relied heavily on AI-generated content. The site falsely claimed Cher made the remarks during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” — now branded as MS NOW — alongside host Mika Brzezinski. No such appearance or segment ever occurred.

Meme contained multiple factual errors about Karoline Leavitt

The meme also misstated Leavitt’s political history. It claimed she lost two congressional races; according to Ballotpedia, she lost only one. It also suggested she served just eight months in the Trump White House, while BBC News reports she worked as a speechwriter and later assistant press secretary from 2019 through January 2021.

Representatives for Cher, Ana Navarro, John Leguizamo, and the White House were contacted for comment. Navarro’s Instagram post was later deleted, though it is unclear whether this was prompted by fact-checking inquiries.