Fact Check: Has Robert De Niro been permanently banned by Paramount? Viral post debunked

On June 4, a rumor arose on social media that veteran Hollywood actor and producer Robert De Niro was permanently banned by Paramount Studios (Paramount Pictures) for allegedly being a “creepy clown.”

The claim first emerged on the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub. It contained a collage of the studio and the star with the following text,

“Robert De Niro permanently banned from Paramount Studios: ‘We don’t want anything with that creepy clown.’”

However, the claim is fake. The post, which has so far earned over 8000 likes and nearly 2000 comments, was meant as satire, as evident from the description of the SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page where it’s clearly mentioned:

“We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.”

In late May, Robert De Niro called out former President Donald Trump outside the courthouse during the latter's ongoing criminal trial in New York. In the wake of this, the National Association of Broadcasters rescinded a leadership award they were scheduled to honor the veteran actor with earlier this month.

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Paramount Pictures did not ban its longtime collaborator Robert De Niro

On Tuesday, a Texas-based Facebook page, SpaceX Fanclub, posted that the major American film and TV production and distribution company Paramount Pictures reportedly banned Oscar winner Robert De Niro permanently.

Not only that, but the post insinuated that the studio referred to The Intern star as a “creepy clown.” In the comment section, there was also an external link to the website Esspots, which contained the title:

“Breaking: Robert De Niro Permanently Banned from Paramount Studios, ‘We Don’t Want Anything with That Creepy Clown.”

The article claimed that Paramount took the measure due to De Niro’s “increasingly controversial behavior and outspoken political views” and in the wake of various reported incidents in which he was deemed as “unprofessional” and “disruptive.”

A screenshot of the satire article (Image via Esspots)

The publication further alleged that a studio executive, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that they wanted nothing to do with the Golden Globe winner to avoid the “negative publicity surrounding the actor.”

“His recent actions and statements have crossed the line, and we feel it’s in the best interest of the studio to sever ties permanently,” the individual reportedly said.

Furthermore, the article penned by satire columnist Alex Robin claimed that another representative of the studio doubled down on the step and allegedly said:

“Paramount has always prided itself on maintaining a professional and respectful working environment. Mr. De Niro’s recent conduct has been inconsistent with our values and standards. We believe this decision is necessary to preserve the integrity of our projects and the well-being of our staff.”

Esspots also claimed that since the news of the alleged ban became viral, several celebrities chimed in to share their opinions. While some deemed him a liability and regarded Paramount’s alleged decision as the right way forward, others came to the actor’s defense and offered support. The site further claimed that social media users also weighed into the ongoing debate.

However, as mentioned, all the claims are false and have no factual basis or authentic/ accurate/ reliable information. Instead, they were fabricated by Esspots and its offshoot SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page for the sake of satire, parody, and humor. In fact, the website's disclaimer page clearly states that all of its content is “entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.”

The 'About Us' page of the website (Image via Esspots)

Paramount Studios has, therefore, not permanently banned Robert De Niro, who is a veteran for them and has collaborated on several projects, including the recent Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as The Godfather: Part II, The Untouchables, and many more over the years.

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Robert De Niro has been at the center of such rumors

Earlier this week, the same social media page and website claimed that British celebrity chef and restauranteur Gordon Ramsay refused to seat and serve Robert De Niro at one of his London establishments. Around the same time, American restauranteur and Emmy-winning presenter Guy Fieri was claimed to have denied entry to the actor in one of his fine-dining outlets, both due to De Niro’s alleged wokeness.

Last weekend, a rumor also arose that actor Keanu Reeves refused to work with Robert De Niro and referred to him as a “grade-A jacka*s.” Similarly, last month, many social media posts claimed that director-producer Kevin Costner reportedly fired the Taxi Driver star from a $30 million project. Both of these rumors were debunked as well.