Fact Check

Did Alex Trebek Run a CBD Oil Business?

Falsely tying celebrities to CBD oil sales isn't a new internet scam.

Published Nov. 20, 2020

CULVER CITY, CA - APRIL 17:  Game show host Alex Trebek poses on the set of the "Jeopardy!" Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Tournament Show Taping on April 17, 2010 in Culver City, California.  (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images) (Amanda Edwards / Stringer, Getty Images)
Image Via Amanda Edwards / Stringer, Getty Images
Claim:
Alex Trebek sold CBD oil.

In late November 2020, Snopes readers asked for verification of social media posts spreading rumors that beloved "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, who passed away from pancreatic cancer earlier in the month, had a CBD oil business.

We found no evidence that Trebek had any such business. Turns out, social media posts attaching celebrity names to CBD oil sales pitches is a fairly commonplace marketing scam.

On Nov. 16, 2020, a paid advertisement ran via The Associated Press, headlined, nonsensically, "Alex Trebek CBD Oil ' Why Should Move Hemp Oil'?" But a link to the product itself makes no mention of Trebek. Instead, the product is called Natural Source. The only other links to any mention of Alex Trebek CBD oil are junk sites and random social media posts.

The same goes for other celebrities falsely tied to CBD oil sales, including Tom Selleck, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Springsteen, Blake Shelton, and others.

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and has covered everything from crime to government to national politics. She has written for ... read more

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