On Monday, a photo circulated that claimed to show Los Angeles Lakers Earvin “Magic” Johnson donating blood in August of 2022 to help COVID-19 patients, despite his previous HIV diagnosis. But the image has been taken out of context and the message is not true.
“Earlier today, NBA legend Magic Johnson donated some of his blood to the Red Cross to help underprivileged communities help fight COVID-19,” said one Tweet sharing the image, which received more than 10,000 likes and more than 25,000 shares according to the Associated Press.
Many media outlets immediately debunked the false and deceptive Tweet, reporting that the photo showed Johnson having blood drawn, not donating it. Johnson himself took to Twitter on Monday to clarify the matter, saying that he has never donated blood.
“I’m aware of the false story circling the internet, and to be clear, I have never donated blood,” Johnson said in his Tweet.
Johnson announced his retirement from basketball back in 1991 after he tested positive for HIV. After missing four seasons while managing his HIV, Johnson returned to the court for the 1995-96 season, playing one last season with the Lakers.
The Red Cross does not accept blood donations from anyone who has ever tested positive for the HIV virus. The organization also screens all blood donations for the virus.
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