Fact Check: Did Kathy Bates agree to play Elon Musk in a biopic about his Epstein ties?

WASHINGTON, DC: A funny meme claiming Kathy Bates will play Elon Musk in a biopic is going viral on social media. The post has resurfaced as Musk faces renewed scrutiny over his past communications with Jeffrey Epstein. Some users have treated the meme as a real casting announcement. Let's fact-check it.

Claim: Katy Bates will play Elon Musk in his biopic

An X post featuring Elon Musk and Kathy Bates has gone viral online. The post shared a collage of the two and suggested that Bates should play Musk in a movie about his life.

The meme gained more attention after Musk allegedly responded, “Delete this.” His alleged reply further fueled the joke, with users sharing the post and adding comments. Some said they liked the idea, while others made jokes about the casting. The growing discussion raised questions about whether Bates had actually agreed to play Musk in a biopic.

The meme resurfaced as recently released emails from 2012 and 2013 brought renewed attention to Musk’s past communications with Jeffrey Epstein. Musk has said he declined an invitation to Epstein’s island.

Users responded to the meme with jokes and references to Bates’ acting career. One user wrote, “Elon is right. You SHOULD delete this. Huge insult to Kathy Bates.” Another replied with a GIF of Bates that appeared to say, “You should take that as a compliment.”

The posts continued to circulate as users mixed humor about Bates’ possible role with renewed discussion of Musk’s past communications.

Fact Check: The claim is false

 The claim is false. Kathy Bates has not agreed to play Elon Musk in a biopic. The viral image is a casting joke, not an announcement of a real film or casting deal.

The meme is not entirely new. In November 2023, Variety published an article discussing who could play Musk in a potential A24 biopic. Kathy Bates was one of several actors suggested, alongside names such as Nicolas Cage and Rami Malek. This was a discussion about possible casting, not confirmation that Bates had been hired.

The current viral meme appears to have revived that idea. It pairs photos of Musk and Bates with the text suggesting that Bates should play him if a movie is made. The image then adds a supposed reply from Musk saying, “Delete this.”

But Musk did not post or reply with those words to the meme. No such post appears on his account.

There is also no credible announcement from Bates, a studio, or a production company confirming that she has signed on to portray Musk. Notably, recent posts discussing the image describe it as a meme or fictional casting joke, rather than a confirmed movie project.