Fact Check: Did Martina McBride call Beyonce a 'clown in a cowboy hat'?

HOUSTON, TEXAS: A claim about Martina McBride making a controversial remark about Beyonce went viral on social media on Thursday, December 26.

A Facebook page, True Freedom News, shared a post with the caption, "Breaking News: Martina McBride Rejects Beyoncé's invitation, saying 'Country music doesn't need a clown in a cowboy hat,'" which got around 39,000 likes and more than 8,000 comments and was shared over 2,000 times. 

The viral post appeared to reference the ongoing speculation surrounding country music and Beyonce, possibly in connection to the 'Cowboy Carter' hitmaker's high-profile NFL Christmas Gameday halftime performance. 

Viral post claiming Martina McBride insulted Beyonce is false

While the post appeared legitimate to many users, some quickly pointed out that the news was fabricated.

One user, Jaylon Martin, pointed out, "She never said this. It's an account that makes false news," while another user, Taylor Brown, wrote, "Everyone is so gullible on Facebook. Y'all please do 5 seconds of research before making yourselves look like fools. Martina McBride did not say this."

Many Facebook users clarified that the viral post was aimed at provoking reactions through rumors and speculation as the page, True Freedom News, has a history of making similar false news stories.  

Another individual, Tom Anderson, commented, "This is a lie for clickbait. I mean, it would be the correct thing to say, but Martina didn't and wouldn't."

Similar false posts about Martina McBride insulting Beyonce have appeared before

Moreover, there is no evidence to support that Martina McBride made such a comment about Beyonce. The 'Valentine' crooner, a country music icon, has long been an advocate for unity and inclusion within the genre.

The claim appears to be just another example of viral misinformation spreading quickly on social media platforms.

Additionally, it was found that a similar false post had been shared in July by the Facebook page, King of Acting.

The post was captioned, "Martina Mcbride Turns Down Beyoncé’s Invitation: ‘THE COUNTRY MUSIC SCENE DOESN’T NEED A CLOWN IN A COWBOY HAT.'"

Many users in the comments section of the said post also pointed out that the page was pushing fake news. 

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.