Fact Check

Was TV Host Bill Nye Arrested for Manufacturing and Selling Illegal Drugs?

A routine review of content labeled satire.

Published Sept. 12, 2019

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Bill Nye (right) and Brielle Milla (left)  speak onstage at WE Day California at The Forum on April 25, 2019 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for WE Day) (Getty Images)
Image Via Getty Images
Claim:
TV host Bill Nye "the Science Guy" was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing and selling illegal drugs.

In September 2019, a years-old rumor started spreading on social media that television host Bill Nye the Science Guy had been arrested on suspicion of manufacturing and selling illegal drugs:

Some social media users also shared a brief piece of text detailing Nye's alleged arrest:

Bill Nye was arrested in his Los Angeles home after investigators became suspicious of Nye taking part in the sale and manufacture of illegal drugs. Investigators found pounds of illegal drugs and money in a secret basement in Bill Nye’s home, including 6 Million dollars cash.

This text is not based on credible news reports. It is actually a verbatim copy of a paragraph that originally appeared in a piece of fiction published in 2014 on the website Huzlers.

Huzlers is an entertainment website that describes its content as satire:

Huzlers is a Chicago based satirical news blog that focuses on celebrities, hip hop and urban entertainment.

Notes

Why We Include Humor and Satire in Snopes.com

Sources

Huzlers.   "Bill Nye The Science Guy Arrested For Manufacturing And Selling Illegal Drugs."     1 December 2014.

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