Fact Check

Is This Man's Name Really Peter Griffin?

The photograph has gained popularity in social media clickbait ads that lead to listicles and slideshows that don't end up including the image.

Published July 21, 2005

Claim:
A man in a photograph named Peter Griffin bears a strong resemblance to animated character of the same name.

A directory photo (perhaps a school yearbook) of a man supposedly named "Peter Griffin" bears a strong resemblance to another Peter Griffin, the "big, boisterous lovable oaf" featured in the Fox animated TV series, Family Guy.

However, the same photograph previously appeared on the internet with a legend identifying its subject as Justin Blair Spaeth.

Justin Blair Spaeth is a real person (who bears a physical similarity to the Peter Griffin character but does not share his name), as evidenced by these snapshots of a Back Stage Blue (the thespian troupe of Notre Dame High School) production of "West Side Story."

The altered image has been shared on websites and social media since at least 2005, including in Twitter ads that lead to listicles and slideshows, such as this one:

Spaeth's image with the words "Peter Griffin" is included in the tweet as clickbait, as it does not even appear in the long list on the advertised website.

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.