Fact Check: Did Karoline Leavitt expose Brittney Griner's gender and lead WNBA to mandate 'sex testing'?

WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor has been going around social media that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had “discovered the truth” about WNBA star Brittney Griner’s gender.

It also alleged the WNBA responded by announcing mandatory sex testing for all players in the upcoming season.

Did Karoline Leavitt comment on Britney Griner's gender?

The claim started circulating August 1, when a post on the Today in America Facebook page blew up with over 69,000 reactions, 18,000 comments, and 3,600 shares.

It declared, "THIS JUST HAPPENED: Karoline Leavitt calls Brittney Griner a 's**t' after discovering the truth about her gender. In a surprising and controversial move, the Women's National Basketball Αssociation (WNBΑ) has announced that it will implement mandatory S3X testing for all players starting next season. This decision comes amid discussions surrounding gender identity and inclusivity in women's…"

The post included links to blog articles buried in the comments, which is reportedly a classic misinformation tactic to bypass platform rules. It was soon reposted across Threads and Facebook.

But none of it holds up. Searches across Google, Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo turned up zilch from any real media.

Despite thousands of shares, likes, and comments, not a single reputable news outlet backed up the story. It was simply clickbait designed to go viral and rake in ad cash, mostly from sketchy blogs with zero editorial standards.

White House calls viral claim surrounding Karoline Leavitt 'fake'

Fact-checking outlet Snopes reached out to both the White House and the WNBA, just to cover all bases.

The response from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was rather curt. “This is obviously fake," they said.

The WNBA hasn’t made any such announcement either, and there's zero indication it's even on the table. In fact, the source of the rumor seems to trace back to a network of grifter blogs, some of which are operated by users based in Vietnam, according to Facebook’s transparency tools.

Some posts even included AI-generated images and videos to lend a false sense of authenticity.

It's worth noting that Griner has long been the target of speculation due to her physical appearance. Back in 2015, she addressed this in an interview with ESPN.

“When I was younger, I definitely got picked on for my size and my voice, which has always been deep," she said at the time.

The 6-foot-9 baller also revealed that people have often mistaken her for a man — even in women’s restrooms. But she’s never hidden from that scrutiny. In fact, she’s been upfront about how it shaped her.

Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout's prisoner exchange

In 2022, Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia after being caught with cannabis vape cartridges. She was sentenced to nine years in a Russian labor camp. The US ultimately negotiated her release in December that year in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. It was a controversial prisoner swap that drew widespread criticism.

However, Griner was overjoyed upon securing her freedom. 

“It feels so good to be home!" she said following her release. "The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. I dug deep to keep my faith, and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help."

She also thanked then-President Joe Biden and his team for brokering the deal that brought her back to US soil.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.